Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Continual improvement in the quality management

The standard requires the organization to continually
improve the effectiveness of the quality management system
in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001 and to
implement action necessary to achieve planned results and
continual improvement of the identified processes.


ISO 9000 defines continual improvement as a recurring activity to increase the
ability to fulfil requirements. As the organization’s objectives are its require-
ments, continually improving the effectiveness of the management system
means continually increasing the ability of the organization to fulfil its
objectives.


If the management system is enabling the organization to accomplish its
objectives when that is its purpose, why improve? The need for improvement
arises out of a need to become more effective at what you do, more efficient in
the utilization of resources so that the organization becomes best in its class.
The purpose of measuring process performance is to establish whether or not
the objectives are being achieved and if not to take action on the difference. If
the performance targets are being achieved, opportunities may well exist to
raise standards and increase efficiency and effectiveness.