| In order for a business to be successful it is essential | | | | your business focuses on what your customer |
| that it must have a management system capable of | | | | actually requires and not what they think they |
| ensuring the business can achieve its goals and | | | | require. In order for your business to move forward |
| objectives. The ISO 9000 series of standards relate | | | | successfully it is essential that you run it in a |
| to Quality Management Systems however as | | | | methodical and well thought out manner that is highly |
| businesses will tend to have one system, formalizing | | | | perceptible. To achieve success from your business |
| the system to focus solely on quality will have no real | | | | you must ensure that your business adopts a |
| benefits to your business. Therefore, it will be | | | | business management system which will ensure that |
| necessary to move away from a system focusing | | | | continual improvement is constantly being driven by |
| wholly on quality, to a system that focuses on all the | | | | the management system. If your business is to |
| characteristics of your business. | | | | develop and have a business management system |
| The main reason your business is in existence is to | | | | that will allow growth and sustainability, you will have |
| highlight the requirements and expectations of your | | | | to ensure that you build a management system that |
| customers and other persons concerned (employees, | | | | is focused on your customers. To achieve this |
| suppliers etc) to accomplish an advantage over you | | | | objective your business management system must |
| competitors. In addition to this, another objective | | | | contain systems and processes that are easily |
| must be to gain, sustain and develop your businesses | | | | understood by the individuals within your business. It |
| performance and resources. | | | | is also crucial that these systems can be managed |
| As a means to achieve improvements within your | | | | easily and improvements made if they are necessary |
| business you should ensure that your business | | | | without any detrimental affect on the day to day |
| employs the key principles that are fundamental to | | | | operation of your business. The processes within |
| ISO 9001:2000, these are: | | | | your management system must be capable of being |
| - Customer Focus; | | | | measured to ensure they are performing as required. |
| - Involvement of People; | | | | It does also mean that when setting these key |
| - Leadership; | | | | performance indicators, intelligent thought is given to |
| - Process Approach; | | | | the areas that you are measuring. It is worth |
| - Factual Approach; | | | | remembering that individuals are likely to improve in |
| - System Approach; | | | | areas in which they are being measured. Therefore it |
| - Continual Improvements; | | | | is critical that any process measuring is carried out in |
| - Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships. | | | | areas that will benefit the system and your business |
| Following the principles highlighted above ensures that | | | | as a whole. |