ISO 10018 focuses on importance of people in quality management

Tuesday, 6 November 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A new ISO standard for organizations of all sizes, types and activities provides a framework for getting the best out of people in the implementation of a quality management system based on ISO 9001.

ISO 10018:2012, Quality management - Guidelines on people involvement and competence, aims to be a useful tool for leaders, managers, supervisors, quality practitioners, quality management representatives and human resource managers. It describes:

Actions which may be taken to strengthen people involvement
Processes which an organization can use to implement and maintain people involvement and competence in quality management systems
Actions which can be taken to meet individual quality management system requirements, such as those specified in ISO 9001, although ISO 10018 can be used with other management system standards

The introduction to ISO 10018 affirms: “The overall performance of a quality management system and its processes ultimately depends on the involvement of competent people and whether they are properly introduced and integrated into the organization. The involvement of people is important in order for an organization’s quality management system to achieve outcomes which are consistent and aligned with their strategies and values.

“It is critical to identify, develop and evaluate the knowledge, skills, behaviour and work environment required for the effective involvement of people with the necessary competence.

“This International Standard provides guidelines for human factors which influence people involvement and competence, and creates value that helps to achieve the organization’s objectives.”

ISO 10018 takes a process-based approach and describes actions, results and plans for people involvement and competence. If these are monitored, measured and analysed, says the standard, this produces results which enable top management to make decisions for improvement, thus leading to enhanced levels of customer satisfaction.

ISO 10018:2012, Quality management - Guidelines on people involvement and competence, was developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, subcommittee SC 3, Supporting technologies, working group WG 15, Guidelines for participation and competences of people.