Leadership In Quality Management Systems
Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015 Clause 5: Leadership
What are the key requirements
- Top Management must manage, not delegate quality.
- Leadership has defined responsibilities for ensuring quality performance.
- These specific functions range from support for customer regulatory requirements, risks and to enhancing customer satisfaction.
- Management’s responsibilities are the design and implementation of a quality policy, communication and companywide leadership.
What is the importance of Leadership?
- To ensure that each employee understands their role.
- The implementation and reporting of elements of the Quality Management System.
- The focus is to be kept on customer requirements.
Getting management approval
Running a Quality Management System is a constant challenge. Approval from management can be hard. They are more interested in strategy, budgets, sales and shareholders. They often believe that a Quality Management System is not important for the business. It is therefore important to display leadership. Management thinks and acts cleverly. Submitting a plan that they accept will give you drive and reliability.
Your Quality Management System should link to your company approach. Get management involved in the management review process. They must not only approve the Quality Management System but they must be seen to be involved as well.
You need to regularly sell the benefits of the Quality Management System to management and staff. Research and collect information about other companies where ISO 9001:2015 turned them around. Look back over your work history for examples. If you have enough information on success stories, the team will follow your lead. They will know that other companies have successfully implemented a Quality Management System.
You should have consistent numbers with regards to waste, customer complaints etc. This information is important for setting targets and assessing progress. Management with an eye on budgets will be happy.
Keeping the Quality Management System updated
You need to keep your team aware of the costs involved in letting the ISO 9001:2015 system deteriorate. It is a negative way of getting the attention of management, but a horror story of a lost contract or a mistake with an order.
Use SHEQ Software
An essential component of effective leadership is the visibility of the health of your Quality Management System, and the ability to be able to direct operations based on the availability and accuracy of the data. SRM and many of our clients use Mango Compliance Software – www.mangolive.com
Have the courage to act
You must be hard-hitting, fair and constant. You must show your total dedication to the processes. If the procedure says that each document is to be signed off by the Quality Manager, then this must be done without question. When monthly audits are to be done, they must be done without any excuses. If you let the Quality Management System go down or apply procedure carelessly, the employees will think that their tasks are not worth worrying about and that the whole system is a waste of time.
Overseeing a Quality Management System is difficult, but the bonus to the company is huge. Be eager, knowledgeable and strategic. The design and implementation of your ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System should also be something that other companies are jealous of as your company will be envied.
SRM is ISO 9001:2015 ; ISO 14001;2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certified, let us know if we can help you with the development and implementation of your Quality Management System ? Contact our Consultants today
Other related topics/ links:
https://srmc.co.za/iso-9001-in-90-minutes-series-1-clause-4-context-of-the-organisation/
https://srmc.co.za/iso-certifications/
