The six (6) obligatory procedures
Within the 2008 framework mandating a documented quality management system companies were required to demonstrate how they controlled:-
- Internal auditing
- Policy & objectives
- Quality manual & procedures
- Preventive action
- Records
It’s important to note that internal auditing, policy objectives and preventative action are inter-connected with each other and closely linked to continual improvement methods.
With changes to the 2015 version all of these requirements have been removed and so your organisation has a unique opportunity to adapt creatively to those changes while demonstrating control of risk.
Areas to consider are:-
- Context of the organisation compared with its community and industry sectors
- Decisions made or based on evidence and facts, not opinions
- Engagement of people (external to and within the organisation)
- Evaluating the organisation’s performance
- Improvement
- Increased customer focus
- Leadership (not just management commitment)
- Managing relationships
- Operations – how they are structured and controlled
- Planning
- Process based controls and thinking (no matter what industry sector you are in)
- Support mechanisms