Leadership
Leadership requirements in the new standard have been designed to refocus an organisation’s quality system & how the following 2008 categories are applied:-
- Authority, communication & responsibilities
- Customer focus
- Management commitment & responsibility
- Management review
- Planning & objectives
- Quality policy
Within the 2008 version the requirements were limited to the organisation ‘looking inwards’.
The 2015 standard now requires organisations to ‘look inwards and outwards’, understanding their processes and structures in the context of their community and industry sectors. There is an expectation that certified organisations will develop, display and promote leadership in a social context whilst understanding the needs of parties within and external to the company.
As a result this approach is moving organisations closer to a formalised corporate social responsibility context than was previously the case. It also means that the external and internal relationships of an organisation must now be interpreted with respect to business exposure, risk, opportunities and threats.
Additionally, the display of commitment must now come from the executive, senior or strategic management group rather than an appointed management representative which is no longer required in the new standard.