Auditing Customer Feedback Processes

Customer feedback is a process. It needs to be audited as a process, not as a "clause of the standard". An evaluation also needs to be performed on the way in which the process is managed (see ISO 9001:2008 clause 8.2.1), and its ability to provide meaningful information with which to judge the overall effectiveness of the QMS. The way in which the organization obtains this feedback ("the method") is up to the organization to define. The standard states "Monitor information relating to customer perception." Sources can include surveys, customer data, compliments...

The auditor needs to be aware of the specific characteristics of the organization's products that are likely to impact customer satisfaction. Throughout the audit the auditor should be alert for indications that may suggest customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction which could serve as input into the audit of the customer feedback process.

Sources of information can include:

* Goods returned by the customer;
* Warranty claims;
* Revised invoices;
* Direct observation of, or communication with the customer (for example in a service organization).

These are some of the issues an auditor should address during an audit of the customer feedback process:

a) What is the desired output of this process? What information is actually available on customer perceptions? How is this information used by management to drive improvements to the product, processes and the QMS?

b) How is the data collected to feed the process? There are many ways for an organization to monitor its customers' perceptions, and the auditor should avoid preconceived ideas about how this should be done. Some examples of techniques the organization can use include:

* face-to-face visits and evaluations;
* telephone calls or visits made periodically or after delivery of products and services;
* internal enquiries among the organization's personnel who are in contact with customers;
* other contacts with customers, for example by service or installation personnel.

c) How is the data analyzed? Simply collecting data on customer perceptions is not sufficient - the auditor must follow the process through, to check how the data is analyzed and what conclusions are made with respect to the effectiveness of the QMS.

1) Are there any trends? 2) Is the situation stable, improving, or deteriorating? 3) Are customer needs and expectations changing? Asking the organization about industry comparisons, or benchmarking activities, in order to put customer feedback into perspective can be extremely valuable.

d) How does the information generated by this process feedback into the QMS as a whole? Organizations should be using the results of the customer feedback process to trigger corrective and/or preventive actions and as one of the overall measures of the QMS performance. Auditors should review the way in which these processes interact and subject it to the audit process.

The auditor should be able to recognize that the output from the customer feedback process forms an important input into other QMS process, such as data analysis, management review and continual improvement processes. An auditor who strives to add value will try to ensure that the organization recognizes the benefits a sound customer feedback process.

Share your thoughts / methods on how your company monitors and audits customer feedback.

Published New Edition of ISO 9004 - Path to Sustained Success

The just-published new edition of ISO 9004:2009 provides organizations with a model for sustained success in today's complex, demanding, and ever-changing environment.

ISO 9004:2009- "Managing for the sustained success of an organization-A quality management approach," is the third edition of the standard first published in 1987.It is intended to support the achievement of sustained success by any organization, regardless of size, type, or activity, using a quality management approach.

Compared to ISO 9001:2008, which ensures quality management of products and services while enhancing customer satisfaction, ISO 9004:2009 provides a broader perspective of quality management, particularly for performance improvement. It will prove useful to organizations whose top management wishes to move beyond ISO 9001 in pursuit of ongoing improvement, measured through the satisfaction of customers and other stakeholders.

Although ISO 9004:2009 complements ISO 9001:2008 and vice versa), it can also be used independently. It is not intended for third-party certification,regulatory, or contractual use, nor as a guide to the implementation of ISO 9001:2008

To help users get the best out of the standard, an annex gives a clause-by-clause correspondence between ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9004:2009.

ISO 9004:2009 allows organizations to enhance the quality of product and service delivery to their customers by promoting self-assessment as an important tool to enable organizations to: Benchmark their level of maturity, covering leadership, strategy, management system, resources, and processes. This includes identify their strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities for either improvements or innovation, or both.

The self-assessment tool may become a key element during the strategic planning processes in any organization."The objectives of customer satisfaction and product quality are extended in ISO 9004:2009 to include the satisfaction of interested parties and the performance of the organization. The combination of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 will allow you to get the most of your quality system," says Jose Dominguez, a leader of the ISO 9001 task group.

Purchase ISO 9004:2009 at the ANSI E-Store for $149.00
or at the ASQ Store for $76.00, member price.

Share your thoughts on this new edition with the Quality Guru and our readers!

Major Changes to New ISO 9004:2009 Standard

The latest draft of ISO 9004:2009 has received broad approval and the final draft of this International Standard (FDIS) is due to be released before the end of 2009.

The new version has a title change. It's now: "Managing for the Sustained Success of an Organization-A Quality Management Approach."

The new version is also shorter than its predecessor, ISO 9004:2000 at 44 pages compared to 56. This reduction is in part due to the removal of the ISO 9001 text that appeared at the start of each section. Although ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 are still "a consistent pair" of standards, ISO 9004 no longer has the same clause by clause naming as ISO 9001. This helps to emphasize that it is not a guide to ISO 9001.

The contents of ISO 9004 (at the draft stage) are:

• Scope
• Normative references
• Terms and definitions
• Managing for the sustained success of an organization
• Strategy for policy formulation, planning and development
• Resource management
• Process management
• Monitoring, measurement, analysis and review
• Improvement, innovation, and learning
• Annex A: Self-assessment tool
• Annex B: Quality management principles
• Annex C: Correspondence between ISO 9004-2009, and ISO 9001:2008
• Bibliography

The aim of ISO 9004 is to help users of ISO 9001 to obtain long-term benefit from a broader, in-depth, quality management system (QMS) based on their existing QMS. It uses the same quality management principles as ISO 9001. It is not to be used for assessment or certification purposes.

This standard will provide valuable guidance for managers on leading their organization towards long term success.and to build on existing quality management systems. ISO 9001 focussed on customers. ISO 9004 extends the focus to include all interested parties including society, suppliers, employees and shareholders.

We will keep you informed when the ISO 9004:2009 is published.

The Quality Guru now has Web-Based Training Courses!

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The current course catalog is as follows:

ISO 14001: 2004 - Overview and Implementation
ISO 9001:2008 Management Overview
Introduction to ISO 14000
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I also want to announce that I will be a presenter at the American Society for Quality (ASQ) 18th Annual Service Quality Conference on October 5-6, 2009 in Long Beach, CA. The session is "Finding Lost Profits in Your Service Processes."

Hope to see you there!

The Aerospace Standard, AS9100, Revision C, is available for purchase now at the SAE International Website. This revision includes the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 standard published in October 2008.

Major changes to this Aerospace standard include:

7.1.1 Project Management: New requirement for planning and managing product realization in a structured and controlled way.

7.1.2 Risk Management: New requirement of implementation of a risk management process applicable to the projects & products; responsibility, criteria, mitigation & acceptance.

7.1.3 Configuration Management: Moved from clause 4.3 to clause 7.1 and added details on the different activities to be covered.

7.1.4 Control of Work Transfer : Moved from clause 7.5 (Production) to clause 7.1 to add emphasis on having a process for planning and control of transfer activities.
Product quality and on-time delivery performance. Added requirement to measure "product conformity" and "on-time delivery" and take appropriate actions if planned results are not achieved. The intent is to provide a linkage between the QMS and organization performance.

Process to address control of Special Requirements: Critical Items and Key Characteristics. Key characteristic requirements remain unaltered but a new concept is added to identify special requirements from the Customer or internal sources that require additional controls (e.g. risk management) that translates into Critical Items that may flow to Key characteristics for variation control.

Formal monitoring of Customer satisfaction data: Added the requirement to monitor data and to develop improvement plans that address deficiencies. The intent is to promote continuous improvement of the product and Customer satisfaction.

Requirements from regulatory authorities: A general requirement has been introduced in 4.1 to address all the applicable statutory and regulatory QMS requirements in the organization's QMS instead of keeping detailed requirements in chapters.

First Article Inspection (FAI): moved to clause 7.5.1.1 and renamed. Production process verification "FAI" is the requirement to validate the production process's documentation and tooling and repeat the process when necessary (i.e. when engineering or manufacturing processes change). The requirement was moved from 8.2.4.2 (measurement) to 7.5.1.1 (production) because it is part of product realization and is not intended to be a follow-on activity.

Difference between Key Characteristics, Special Requirements and Critical Items: Special Requirements are those requirements that have high risks to being achieved, which require their inclusion in the risk management process. Critical Items, including key characteristics, are those items that have significant effect on product realization and use of the product, which require specific actions to assure they are adequately managed.
AS9100C is consistent with ISO 9001:2008 and the length of time to transition is 30 months. Companies will be encouraged to upgrade on their scheduled audit cycle.

Improvement comments from Aerospace OEM's and IAQG regarding what their supplier expectations are from this new standard include :

1. Expect registrar auditors to go deeper into auditing sample sizes;


2. Improve classification of nonconformances, example less opportunities for improvement and more major and minor corrective action identification;


3. 100% compliance expected, less exclusions and improved objective evidence;


4. More Root Cause Analysis (RCAA) tools and methods used. No more "operational /human error" root causes;


5. Improved monitoring and measurement of company objectives, and if applicable why objectives are not being met;


6. Zero tolerance on poor supplier quality and inadequate supplier measurement methods, and lack of performance data.

Comparison of ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2000

This document aims to compare ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2000 to highlight changes.

The ISO 9001:2008 has been published and the standard is available through The American Society for Quality website at http://www.asq.org/. ISO 9001:2008 does not introduce any additional requirements beyond the current ISO 9001:2000. Although certification is not compulsory, it is estimated that over one million ISO 9001 certificates have been issued to organizations in private and public sectors, in manufacturing and services, and in 170 countries.


The new edition, however, will not require any specific reassessment for certification. ISO 9001:2008 will be the fourth edition of the standard which was first published in 1987. The third edition, published in 2000, represented a thorough revision, including new requirements and a sharpened customer focus, reflecting developments in quality management and experience gained since the publication of the initial version. Compared to the current 2000 edition, ISO 9001:2008 represents fine-tuning.


It introduces clarifications to the requirements in ISO 9001:2000, based on user experience over the last eight years, and changes that are intended to improve further compatibility with the ISO 14001:2004 environmental standard.


To accompany the publication of this new edition, ISO is working on implementation guidance for ISO 9001:2008, a reference table comparing and contrasting ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Quality Guru Asks : What do you think of the value of this revision and will it improve your organizational effectiveness?

Benefits of an ISO 9001 Business Management System

What are the benefits of having an ISO 9001 based business management system? Lets begin by looking at the benefits to your employees and the organization:

Employee Benefits
To successfully implement and maintain a quality management system, employees need to understand its value to them. The better they understand what's in it for them personally, and how the organization also benefits, the more receptive they will be to the changes and work involved to make it happen.

Employees benefit from the improved internal communication and top management support. Conformity with ISO 9001 means suitable and well maintained equipment, along with the training needed to perform their jobs. Procedures and instructions, where necessary, will be available to guide them in their activities. Employees will have a better understanding of their role in the system and their contributions to meeting objectives. This sense of order and control will carry over into clean and well-organized work areas.

Since the organization will want to continually improve the system, employees will be encouraged to report problems and suggest improvements. As a result, they will be more satisfied and committed to the business.

Organization Benefits
The result of a conforming business management system will be better planned and coordinated activities. Any problems affecting product quality are identified and effective solutions are implemented.

Using the plan* do *check* act approach will lead to more efficient and effective processes and more productive employees. Higher quality products are delivered to more satisfied customers. As a result of your ISO 9001 based system and its well-defined policies, procedures, and information, the organization will be better managed for success. And the story only gets better, because your organization and its management system will be continually improved.

Perceived Disadvantages
Although we have been discussing the very real benefits of an ISO 9001 based system, you should be prepared to deal with its perceived disadvantages

1. Difficult to implement; need a consultantISO 9001 is just a collection of good, common-sense business rules. The difficulty factor depends on the state of your current management system.

2. Organization will resist the changes if introduced properly, with clear explanations of how it will directly benefit them, your employees should become big supporters of the new system.

3. Expensive to implement and maintain. You can reduce costs by comprehensive planning and avoiding the urge to put more into the system than is required for certification. Improve from that base.

4. Significant disruption to your business. Make sure it is supported by top management as a high priority project and integral to the business; not a separate effort by the quality department.

5. Yields unwieldy, ineffective documents. Only write the essential documents. You can rely on trained, experienced employees to perform any undocumented processes.

6. Cumbersome controls and bureaucracy. Keep it simple. Only implement what the business really needs. It may actually make the organization a better place to work.

Certification Benefits
In addition to the previously covered benefits, having the actual certificate in hand provides additional benefits. ISO 9001 is the international language of quality. Certification may help your organization gain expanded access to world markets. Prospective customers may require certification as a prerequisite to bid on contracts. With the certificate in place, your organization will be ready.

The ISO 9001 certificate may differentiate your organization from others in the marketplace and provide a competitive advantage. The certification mark recognizes a quality accomplishment that you continue to earn through successful surveillance audits. Display it with pride. And, don't underestimate the value of independent system assessments by well qualified professional auditors.

Due to its prevention focus, disciplined approach, and better controls, your organization may see an extra benefit of improved housekeeping and fewer accidents. As a result, you may qualify for lower insurance premiums.

Maintaining Benefits
Your organization will see some initial gains through the improved organizational focus and internal communications. These improvements, and other benefits, will be solidified by an active internal audit program and strengthened through the management review process.

Remember, an organization can't rest on its accomplishments. A quality management system will either improve or become less effective. The system will not stay in a steady state. You must listen to customers, meet objectives, stay conforming, and continually improve.

Quality Guru Asks: (1) Tell us the reasons your company acquired registration or the reasons your organization is considering registration? (2) What tangible benefits has your company realized from registration or ask me for hard fact evidence!!