Clause 4 asks four questions in order. Who are you (4.1). Who do you have to keep happy (4.2). What does your system cover (4.3). And clause 4.4: how does it all work? That last question is where most management systems either come alive or turn into a filing cabinet. It is hard to improve […]
Tag: #qms
ISO Clause 4.3: Determining Your Scope (Inside Your Periscope, Not Boiling the Ocean)
Clause 4.3 says the organisation shall determine the boundaries and applicability of the management system to establish its scope. Read that first word again. The organisation. Not the certification body, not the auditor, not the consultant. You decide what your management system covers, and you are entitled to draw that line deliberately. That freedom comes […]
ISO 9001 Clause 8.3: Design Inputs, Outputs, Review, Verification and Validation
Clause 8.3 of ISO 9001 covers the design and development of products and services, and it works as a chain: you define the inputs (what the design has to satisfy), you control the work through review, verification and validation, and you produce outputs that can actually be used to make or deliver the thing. Get […]
Local Government Quality Management Systems: ISO 18091 and the 2026 ISO 9001 Revision
Why should local governments consider ISO 9001 and ISO 18091? Because a council is judged on service delivery, and a quality management system is the only framework that treats service delivery as something you design, measure and improve rather than something you hope for. There is also a deadline worth knowing about. ISO 9001 has […]
How to use Smartsheet for ISO 9001, ISO 45001 & ISO 14001
Smartsheet is a cloud-based software solution that is extremely easy to use (same as Excel), very cost effective and provides some powerful tools such as conditional formatting and alerts/notifications, team collaboration and resource allocation. Here is our guide for Smartsheet for ISO 9001, ISO 45001 & ISO 14001. As ISO Consultants, we find Smartsheet is […]
What’s your system for managing Compliance?
What does compliance have to do with ISO 9001? The Cambridge English Dictionary defines compliance as “the act of obeying an order, rule, or request”: adhering to an externally imposed requirement. The very first section (Section 1, Scope) of ISO 9001 requires organisations to meet applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. In other words, your quality […]
Strategic Plan: Mystical Art or Common Sense?
Is strategic planning a mystical art conjured over a cauldron to provide a vision of the future, or is it simply laying out the company’s values and vision, identifying risks and working out how to measure success? In other words, common sense? This article takes a deep dive into why a strategic plan is a […]
ISO 9001 QMS for Tenders
Why do Tenders require ISO 9001 Certification? Both Government and Private Request for Tenders (RFTs) often include criteria related to Quality, Safety and Environmental Certification. Depending on whether you have a Quality Management System that has been certified to ISO 9001 by an Accredited Third-Party Certification Body then it may mean the difference between winning […]
ISO 9001 Clause 8.4 and ISO 45001 Clause 8.1.4: One Number Apart, One Purchasing Process
ISO 9001 8.4 and ISO 45001 8.1.4 sit one number apart. What each covers, why criteria are the requirement auditors test, and the safety requirements 45001 adds for contractors.
ISO 9001 Clause 8 in Plain English: From Enquiry to Handover
Everything up to clause 8 is planning. Context, leadership, risk, objectives, people and resources. Clause 8 is where the business actually does what it does. It is called “Operation”, and it runs end to end, from the first conversation with a customer to the job being signed off. Read it in order and it could […]
