Does ISO 9001 actually prevent process improvements?

By Renaud Anjoran

As I wrote before, I believe that a good implementation of ISO 9001 does help a manufacturer quite a bit, while a bad one will only create issues.

And the reason is simple. ISO 9001 allows an organization to set any system it wants, as long as they make sense and they respect a set of minimum requirements.

The problem is, many factories think “we would get more customers if we had that certificate”, so they go out and find templates and make it all look like it is alive in their company… while of course, it is just for the auditors.

Another problem is the way procedures can be written. They can become a straitjacket that prevents improvements. It does happen.

Recently, someone voiced her concern as follows:

Well, yes and no. It all depends on the way the quality management system (QMS) is implemented.

I made that case a few years ago after reading a good book entitled Lean ISO 9001.

Setting standards, and guiding people into the details

One basic principle is, “We must write what we do and do what we write”. And having detailed guidelines about the way to do regular tasks is a good thing.

However, people often misunderstand that in several ways:

• Should everyone do the same tasks in exactly the same way? No. It is often fine to let different people have different routines if that’s important to them and if it has no impact on quality.
• Should everyone just comply blindly? If depends on the way it is written. I always suggest adding “if deemed appropriate”, “as applicable”, “if needed”, “unless director directs otherwise, etc. in the SOPs and WIs, if there is a change a deviation might be needed.

More process = less innovation?

Bad process, yes.

Good process, no. It takes care of the repetitive stuff that takes time and reduces the time for innovation. And it can push people to detect issues and think of improvements.

Let’s take an extreme example: a Toyota plant. They have MANY standards & processes, which often go into small details.

However, many of these processes are adapted every few months. Their training sessions, their improvement method, etc. are also part of their processes. This type of process drives improvement.

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Renaud Anjoran has been managing his quality assurance agency (Sofeast Ltd) since 2006. In addition, a passion for improving the way people work has pushed him to launch a consultancy to improve factories and a web application to manage the purchasing process. He writes advice for importers on qualityinspection.org.