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Use
and Improve your QMS
Congratulations on completing your QMS design and documentation!
This is a good time to celebrate, and to communicate appreciation and
kudos to everyone involved!
The next step in your project
is to use and improve your QMS.
-
Follow
documented procedures and work instructions
Everyone
in your organization should be performing processes following
your documented procedures and work instructions, complying with
the QMS requirements.
- Make improvements to the processes
Many of these procedures may be new to your organization, or have
changed significantly during your ISO 9001 project. Now that they
are actually in use, you will most likely find areas that can be improved.
Make improvements using the Corrective and Preventive Action process
and the document revision process.
- Conduct Internal Audits
Schedule internal audits to cover all areas of the organization
before your Registration Audit. Allow time to take corrective action
on any findings. A robust and effective internal audit program is
one of the best tools to finding and correcting shortcomings in the
QMS before your Registration Audit.
- Hold frequent Management Review meetings
Management Review is another key factor in getting the new
QMS ready for a Registration Audit. Review information from Internal
Audits, Corrective and Preventive Action and results of measuring
and monitoring of the QMS. Initiate corrective actions and preventive
actions to fix problems and make improvements to the QMS.
- Keep records
During the Registration Audit, the auditor will be looking
for evidence that you are complying with the requirements of ISO 9001
and of your QMS. This evidence is in the form of records that you
generate as you run your QMS. Be sure that you are following all of
the records requirements that you set up in the QMS. Run your system
for several months before your Registration Audit so there are sufficient
records for the auditor to evaluate.
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