Compliance and Risk Management Articles

10 Essential tips for a great Quality Management System - #1 Leading from the top - Management leadership and commitment

For any quality system to be really successful, it needs to be inspired and led from the top. This article discusses the issue of management leadership and commitment.
​This article is taken from our eBook ‘10 Essential Tips for a great Quality Management System’. Get your Free copy by joining Qudos Club or subscribing to the Qudos newsletter.

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Its time to transition your QMS (Quality Management System) to ISO9001:2015

When the latest ISO9001 quality management standard was released in September 2015, ISO set out a 3-year period for organizations to transition for certification purposes. If your organization has not yet transitioned its QMS, this PDF article will give you the heads-up on the major changes and how they might affect you.

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Knowledge management in your QMS
ISO transition article relating to ISO 9001 clause 7.1.6

The latest version of ISO 9001 has introduced the topic of knowledge management. This is essentially a new requirement, as there was no direct equivalent in the earlier standards. The requirements may be summarized as: 1. Determine what knowledge is necessary for work processes and to achieve product / service conformity. 2. Maintain that knowledge and make it available where needed 3. Consider the current levels of knowledge in the light of changing needs and trends 4. Acquire or access any additional knowledge required. You may notice that the requirements listed above fit very well into the PDCA cycle that underpins the standard. What is meant by knowledge? Follow the link to find out more.

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Planning for change
ISO transition article relating to ISO 9001 clause 6.3

There has been much ballyhoo about the latest ISO 9001 standard placing more emphasis on risk and no longer mandating requirements for a quality manual and documented procedures. In the meantime, certain other new or enhanced requirements have appeared with little fanfare. One of those is clause 6.3 - Planning of changes. This article explains the requirements and what you may need to consider.

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From commitment to leadership
ISO transition article relating to clause 5 in various ISO management system standards  

For a management system to be really successful, it needs to be inspired and led from the top. The latest series of ISO management system standards expand their previous requirements for commitment to also require leadership. What the standards are essentially looking for is top management really taking ownership of the system and playing an active role in it. For some organizations, that will already be the case. For others, there may be a way to go.

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Understanding the context of your organization
ISO transition article relating to clause 4 in various ISO management system standards

In risk management, the first step has always been to establish the context of the risk. As management system standards move towards a more risk-based model, it therefore makes sense that they take the same approach. This article explains how.

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Is it time to dump your Quality Manual?

In ISO 9001:2015, the requirement for a quality manual is notable for its absence. This is part of a general change of focus away from documentation and towards the management of work processes and risk. This article discusses what you might do about it.

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Top 5 changes for ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001:2015 brings a significant change of emphasis in requirements for quality management systems. If you haven’t yet looked into what's new for ISO 9001:2015, here is a very brief introduction to 5 the most important changes it brings, and the reasons behind them.

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The new ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard - How will it affect your organisation?

ISO has recently updated the popular ISO 9001 standard. This update includes some very significant changes to the structure and requirements, and will affect all organistions intending to maintain a certified QMS or IMS. This article describes significant changes, timeframes, transition arrangements, and steps that you might consider next.

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How long will it take to get triple certified?

Government and corporate clients often require or prefer their suppliers to have certified management systems for Quality (ISO 9001), Environment (ISO 14001), and Health and Safety (either OHSAS 18001 or a national standard such as AS/NZS 4801). Certification can provide a competitive edge that makes all the difference in the marketplace.

We are often asked "How long will it take to get certified?" That is never an easy question to answer because it depends on a number of factors. A Qudos client has recently achieved triple certification in just a short space of time. This article gives you the details.

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Getting to the root of the problem

A discussion on the business improvement technique of Root Cause Analysis - including the Cause and Effect diagram, CEDAC and other techniques

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