ABSTRACT
While the implementation of all requirements in ISO 9001 is strictly management’s responsibility, those in Section 5 of the standard are indeed the responsibility of top management. All Clauses in this section commence with the phrase “Top management shall…” The first four Clauses clearly apply to the strategic planning processes of the organization rather than to specific products. However, it is the board of directors that should take note of these requirements when establishing their vision, values, mission and objectives. These requirements are amongst the most important in the standard. There is a clear linkage between customer’s needs, policy, objectives and processes. One leads to the other in a continuous cycle as addressed previously in Chapter 2. Although the Clauses in Section 5 are not intended as a sequence, each represents a part of a process that establishes direction and keeps the organization on course. If we link the requirements together in a cycle (indicating the headings from ISO 9001 in bold italics type) the cycle commences with a Vision – a statement of what we want to be or do, and then a Focus on customers for it is the customer that will decide whether or not the organization survives. It is only when you know what your market is, who your customers will be and where they will be that you can define the Purpose or Mission of the organization. From the purpose or mission you can devise a Vision (where you want to get to – what you want to become) and from the mission come the Policies or Values that will guide you on your journey. These policies help frame the Objectives, the milestones en route towards your destination. The policies won’t work unless there is Commitment so that everyone pulls in
the same direction. Plans have to be made to achieve the objectives and these plans need to identify and lay out the Processes that will be employed to deliver the results – for all work is a process and without work nothing will be achieved. The plans also need to identify the Responsibilities and Authority of those who will be engaged in the endeavour. As a consequence it is essential that effective channels of Internal Communication be established to ensure that everyone understands what they are required to achieve and how they are performing. No journey should be undertaken without a means of knowing where you are, how far you have to go, what obstacles are likely to lie in the path ahead or what forces will influence your success. It is therefore necessary to collate the facts on current performance and predictions of what lies ahead so that a Management Review can take place to determine what action is required to keep the organization on course or whether any changes are necessary to the course or the capability of the organization for it to fulfil its purpose and mission – and so we come full circle. What the requirements of Section 5 therefore address is the mission management process with the exception of process development, which happens to be addressed in Section 4 of the standard.
