What’s the difference between ISO 9001 and CMM?

Understanding the difference between ISO 9001 Standards and CMM means recognising a cultural understanding of quality. -Microsoft and many other software companies govern quality with the 80-20 rule,” said David Smith, vice president of Technology Futures, a technology forecasting company in Austin, TX. -The rationale is, ‘it’s a real product if 80 percent of the problem can be addressed and the remaining 20 percent is part of the business model.’ But the reality is the software industry’s business model is not a business model of total quality. And that is part of the challenge when you compare a CMM model against an ISO 9001 Standards model.”

The problem, as Smith sees it, is a conflict between the approaches to quality of ISO 9000 Standards and CMM programs, on the one hand, and the business model that corporations use on the other. -When you’re developing a product, the hardest problems to fix are the last 20 percent,” noted Smith.

Smith highlights three critical elements for understanding ISO 9001 and CMM:

• Understanding and documenting the true requirements is a key element in both standards.
• Document how you write the software code so other people can understand its value.
• Understand the requirements outlined in the program management and business models. It means understanding the maximum payback from the ISO and CMM levels. This is difficult to achieve because it requires both management and supervisory hats.

Software in the original description of ISO 9001 is different from software that runs on a computer, explains Mark Paulk, a senior member of the technical staff at Carnegie Mellon’s SEI.

Paulk’s advice: Understand the essence of ISO 9001 so you can compare it to CMM. ISO 9001’s definition of software is more general and includes music, entertainment, or anything involving the creation of an intangible product.

-But the original bias of the standard was strongly toward the manufacturing environment, where all the historical work had been done,” said Paulk. -And that is one of the criticisms of the early releases of the standards. One of the objectives of the ISO 9000 revisions was it failed to make the standard more comfortable to users in other environments.”

ISO 9000 Total Quality Management

TQM is infinitely variable and adaptable. Although originally applied to manufacturing operations, and for a number of years only used in that area, TQM is now becoming recognised as a generic management tool, just as applicable in service and public sector organisations. There are a number of evolutionary strands, with different sectors creating their own versions from
the common ancestor.

ISO 9000 Standards Training DVD

ISO 9000 Standards Training DVD
The major reasons that company leadership or management decides to seek ISO 9000 certification are to gain continued or increased business and to maintain effective operations.

A company can maintain a relationship with customers, as well as get increased business through complying to the ISO 900 standards or becoming certified. This comes from satisfying customer demands, the desire for European business, and to advertise.

The Introduction to ISO 9001:2008 DVD covers 3 major areas, which will help companies in the process of implementing ISO 9000 Standards. It consists of:

First, to describe some basic information on ISO 9000 Standards. It will specifically refer to ISO 9001:2008 Standards. The video will explained on topic like what is ISO 9000 Standards, The origin, history & evolution, Series of ISO 9000, version & certification in ISO 9000 Standards.

Then, the DVD will go into the introduction on quality management. It will explained on topics like what is quality, quality characteristic, quality management, Quality Management Principles, ISO 9000 vs. Quality, what is Quality Management System & etc.

Finally, the DVD will technically highlight the requirement of Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008. It also going through in details the steps in implementing Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008.

Document Review In ISO 9001 Standards

Document Review In ISO 9001 Standards

The ISO 9001 Standard requires that documents be reviewed.
Previously the implication was that the review was a check by potential users that the document was fit for purpose before it was offered for approval. It
could be construed that for a document to receive approval it must be checked and therefore review and approval in this context are one and the same and the requirement is in this instance enhanced rather than relaxed.
A review is another look at something. Therefore document review is a task that is carried out at any time following the issue of a document.
This requirement responds to the Continual Improvement principle.
Reviews may be necessary when:
- Taking remedial action (i.e. Correcting an error)
- Taking corrective action (i.e. Preventing an error recurring)
- Taking preventive action (i.e. Preventing the occurrence of an error)
- Taking maintenance action (i.e. Keeping information current)
- Validating a document for use (i.e. When selecting documents for use in
connection with a project, product, contract or other application)
- Taking improvement action (i.e. Making beneficial change to the
information)
Reviews may be random or periodic. Random reviews are reactive and arise
from an error or a change that is either planned or unplanned. Periodic reviews
are proactive and could be scheduled once each year to review the policies,
processes, products, procedures, specification etc. for continued suitability. In
this way obsolete documents are culled from the system. However, if the
system is being properly maintained there should be no outdated information
available in the user domain. Whenever a new process or a modified process
in installed the redundant elements including documentation and equipment
should be disposed of.

Assessment to ISO 9000 Standards

Assessment to ISO 9001 Standards
Once all the requirements of ISO 9001 have been met, it is time for an external audit. This should be carried out by a third party, accredited certification body. In the UK, the body should be accredited by UKAS. The chosen certification body will review the quality manuals and procedures. This process involves looking at the companys evaluation of quality and ascertains if targets set for the management program are measurable and achievable. This is followed at a later date by a full on-site audit to ensure that working practices observe the procedures and stated objectives and that appropriate records are kept.
After a successful audit, a certificate of registration to ISO 9001 will be issued. There will then be surveillance visits (usually once or twice a year) to ensure that the system continues to work.

Preparing The ISO 9000 Standards Quality Manual

Preparing The ISO 9000 Standards Quality Manual

ISO 9000 Standards – Quality Management Principles

ISO 9000 Standards – Quality Management Principles
A quality management principle is defined by ISO/TC 176 as a comprehensive and fundamental rule or belief, for leading and operating an organization, aimed at continually improving performance over the long term by focusing on customers while addressing the needs of all other interested parties. Eight principles have emerged as fundamental to the management of quality.

All the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 are related to one or more of these principles. These principles provide the reasons for the requirements and are thus very important. The quality management principles can be listed as below:

1. Customer focus
Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
The customer focus principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Communication with the customer
b. Care for customer property
c. The determination of customer needs and expectations
d. Appointment of a management representative
e. Management commitment

2. Leadership
Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction for the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives.
The leadership principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. The setting of objectives and policies
b. Planning
c. Internal communication
d. Creating an effective work environment

3. Involvement of people
People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization’s benefit.
The involvement of people principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Participation in design reviews
b. Defining objectives, responsibilities and authority
c. Creating an environment in which people are motivated
d. Internal communication
e. Identifying competence needs

4. Process approach
A desired result is achieved more efficiently when related resources and activities are managed as a process.
The process approach principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. The identity of processes
b. Defining process inputs and outputs
c. Providing the infrastructure, information and resources for processes to
function

5. System approach to management
This principle is expressed as follows:
Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
The system approach principle is reflected in ISO 9001 through the requirements addressing:
a. Establishing, implementing and maintaining the management system
b. Interconnection, interrelation and sequence of processes
c. The links between processes
d. Establishing measurement processes

6. Continual improvement
This principle is expressed as follows:
Continual improvement of the organization’s overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.
The continual improvement principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Improvement processes
b. Identifying improvements
c. Reviewing documents and processes for opportunities for improvement

7. Factual approach to decision making
This principle is expressed as follows:
Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.
The factual approach principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standards through the requirements addressing:
a. Reviews, measurements and monitoring to obtain facts
b. Control of measuring devices
c. Analysis to obtain facts from information
d. Records for documenting the facts
e. Approvals based on facts

8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
This principle is expressed as follows:
An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.
The mutually beneficial supplier relationships principle is reflected in ISO 9000 Standardsthrough the requirements addressing:
a. Control of suppliers
b. Evaluation of suppliers
c. Analysis and review of supplier data