ISO 9001 Top Management Processes

 ISO 9001 and Top Management

The revised versions of the quality management system starting from ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008 have sought to change the tradition of leaving the quality management system to the quality assurance manager or some junior manager to Top management. Even then often times when the implementation of a quality management system is customer driven the organization pursues certification not as a business improvement system but to obtain a certificate. In such instances once a management representative has been appointed, top management pays lip service to the quality management system. This is aggravated by the fact that customers in most industries except the aerospace and automotive industries among the few do not audit their suppliers but relies on third party audits and often the supplier chooses its own registrar.
The result is that there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the system and often employees have two jobs ISO and their daily jobs.
 
A successful quality management system is one that involves every one in the organization starting with top management regardless of the reasons of implementing a quality management system. Who is top management depends on the company’s structure. This must be determined at the start of the project as top management buy in is absolutely necessary for an effective quality management system.
The response of top management to ISO 90001 is also reflected in middle and junior management behavior. If top management is negative or just tolerate or don’t care about ISO 9001, no matter how hard you try no one is going to care. The battle is thus lost before it is even begun. The involvement of top ensures success and commitment through out the organization.