Quality management system-Competence and awareness (ISO 9001:2015)
.Competence-
ISO 9001 requires the companies to define competence for all employees and to make sure that they have appropriate training and experience.
The companies should take
certain actions to make sure the people acquire the necessary competence. For
example, sending them for training or organizing the in-house training, etc.
The company also should keep
records that the employees they have this competence such as certificates,
recommendations, proof to attendance training course, etc.
- What is the good practice for managing the competence?
For employee is to establish
a procedure for managing human resources. This procedure should cover the
things to consider prior to employment of employees and can include elements
such as the performance appraisal, defining training needs, documenting
training plan, etc.
- What the purpose to have a competence people?
Having competent people is
crucial for success. However, it is very important for functioning of the quality management system as well and you can have perfect documents and control in place but if people
do not know how to put them in practice then everything is meaningless.
- Awareness
The standard requires all
persons who work for the company to demonstrate awareness regarding the quality
management system.
The personnel of the company
will demonstrate the awareness by understanding the quality policy, relevant
quality objectives, their own contribution to effeteness of quality management
system.
As well as the implication
of non-conforming to the requirements of the quality management system.
Despite competence or
knowing how the employees must know, what they are supposed to do and why, and
what is their contribution to the quality management system. You can have a
perfect policies and procedures but if people do not understand the meaning of
the quality management system and which policies and procedures, they should
follow then your quality management system would not work.
- Methods for quality management awareness.
There are many methods for
quality management awareness raising such as: emails newsletter, presentations,
brochures, discussion in the meeting or other events, etc.
- ISO 9001 documentation requirement.
The ISO 9001 does not require documenting
awareness activities. However, if you want more structured approach to
awareness raising in your company, you can document an awareness raising plan
In this plan you can define
all activities (presentations, newsletters, etc.) for which period, time
schedule and needed resources.