ISO Management Responsibilities
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 series of standards provides a systematic framework for quality management and quality assurance. These international standards require companies to establish quality initiatives. A company's products -- and ultimately its balance sheet -- will reflect its effectively implemented quality policies and objectives.
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ISO Management Responsibilities
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The head of the company must write a clearly written policy statement on the organization's commitment to quality. Every employee in the company must understand the policy and how it relates to each job title. Management must draw up an organization chart that defines clear responsibilities for the workforce, whose duties affect product quality. Such product quality personnel are responsible for preventing product defects, identifying and recording any quality problems and controlling further work on a product until any problems are resolved.
ISO 9001 Compliance Manager
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Management must assign a representative to oversee and ensure compliance with the ISO 9001 standard. Any organization involved with design and development, production, installation and servicing activities must adhere to the standard. The representative must be part of the organization's top management and report directly to the CEO. The representative's mandate and responsibility to carry out the requirements of ISO 9001 must be clearly stated, possibly in the company's quality manual.
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Audits
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Management must also assign personnel to conduct audits of work practices. For accurate assessment of the product's quality, the staff conducting the design reviews and audits must not be linked to the work being verified.
Top Management Reviews
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Management must conduct internal audits of its own to evaluate the degree of compliance with the documented quality system. Management must look at the results of the audits, the resulting corrective actions and other areas related to quality to ensure a sustainable and effective quality management system. Management must review customer complaints and other important quality related data, including the rate of product returns, warranty repair information and customer satisfaction issues.
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References
Resources
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