Awareness: Quality Policies, Objectives, Risks

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change” –Eckhart Tolle

Are we aware of how we breathe? Are we aware of how lines on our palm change? But we should be aware of how society is changing; how political and economic sentiments are changing around us. In any organization, we should be aware, how we (as individuals) are contributing to the overall growth of the organization, how our little action in one corner of the organization can impact the organization positively or negatively. Similarly, the organization should also be aware of the impact of their decisions on each employee.  

In previous Standards, ‘Awareness’ was part of the ‘competence’ clause but now it has been separately defined. Although this clause is still concealed but many of the key issues in the organization are related to ‘awareness’ only. The communication channels (although available) are generally not effective in communicating the intent of the top management. Lack of awareness (or incomplete) in the organization leads to quality issues, customer complaints, interpersonal conflicts, customer dissatisfaction, rumour mongering etc.

Awareness (clause 2.2.5.4 of ISO 9000: 2015): Awareness is attained when people understand their responsibilities and how their actions contribute to the achievement of the organization’s objectives.

ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 (clause 7.3) have specified ‘How top management has to make their personnel aware of Management System requirements.’

1. Quality Policy: Top management has to ensure that each employee is aware of the policy defined by them. The intent is not to remember it or keep a copy of it in their pocket but to understand its essence and how it is relevant for them in their work.

Industry Challenge: Whether top management has tried to find out if employees are actually aware of the intent of quality policy or it is only displayed as part of the requirement?

2. Quality objectives: Based on quality policy, the business plan for each organization is prepared. To achieve it, quality objectives are defined at relevant functions, levels and processes. The intent is that every employee should be made aware of the expectation of management and how they can contribute by achieving the targets given to them.

Industry Challenge: Whether quality objectives at different levels and processes are linked with the business plan or not? How employees make out that their contribution is helping the organization to achieve its business plan?

3. Contribution for effective Management System: The Standard expects that management will devise a mechanism so that every employee is aware of their contribution to an effective management system. The achievements of the management system can be communicated through different communication channels like emails, intranet, open house, weekly/monthly meetings etc.

Industry challenge: Not many employees consider that their work is contributing to the overall organizational goal. That connect needs to be established.

4.  Awareness about Customer Requirements: Every customer has unique requirements. The organization has to devise methods to communicate the relevant requirements with every employee.

Industry Challenge: If management follows any methodology to verify awareness of customer requirements (CR) to all the relevant employees?

5. Awareness about Non-conforming product/Service: Every employee should be made aware of the impact of supplying non-conforming products/services to its customers (internal or external). Everyone should be aware of the impact of their wrong actions on the next process.

Industry Challenge: Whether quality inspector is aware of his authority to stop production or despatch of non-conforming goods? Whether relevant persons are aware of customer complaint and corrective action?

6. Risk: It is important that every employee should be made aware of the risk if they do not perform in their process, how the management system will become weak and collapse. The impact needs to be communicated clearly to everyone.

Industry Challenge: Although Risk analysis is a mandatory requirement but whether Management is aware of this document and how much relevant is this document?

7. Documented information: To ensure that each employee is aware of the importance of their contribution and its side effects, records have to be prepared to demonstrate how this information has been percolated at each level. Maintaining training records is one of the key methods.

Industry Challenge: Whether training records reflect the true picture of awareness?

Benefits to Top Management:

·      Effectiveness of Management system will improve

·      External audits (customer, third party) will be handled effectively

·      Employee satisfaction will improve

·      Employee attrition will reduce

·      During the economic challenging situation, employees will understand the perspective of management

Some question to ponder

1.    How many are aware that there is a separate clause for ‘Awareness’?

2.    How many Management is serious to know about the effectiveness of their communication?

This is the 25th article of this Automotive series. Every weekend, you will find useful information which will make your Management System journey Productive. Please share it with your colleagues too.

Your genuine feedback and response are extremely valuable. Please suggest topics for the coming weeks.