9001:2015 ISO Registration Requirements Favor Lean Organizations (Demo)

With the looming publication of ISO 9001:2015, many companies are on their toes about changes that they need to make in order to stay in compliance with the quality management systems (QMS) standard. An article on Quality Digest reveals, however, that the text of the new standard highly favors organizations that practice lean management, and draws parallels between the ISO 9001:2015 and several lean principles:

• The process approach, which the 9001:2015 document emphasizes, can be complied with by implementing lean’s value stream approach. In essence, by identifying which aspects of the process add or detract value from the end product, or simply don’t influence it at all, companies would likewise be performing a SWOT analysis to satisfy the process approach.

• The ISO 9001:2015 asserts that organizations must determine their strategic direction. This fits like a glove with the lean process of hoshin kanri, which attempts to identify and standardize an organization’s goals while putting value on and developing ideas that could result in further improvements.

• Risk management, which will be introduced in the 2015 version of ISO 9001, is an integral part of lean practices. By reducing process and systems waste, uncertainty is reduced. This creates a predictable system that inherently mitigates risks.

• ISO 9001:2015 states that organizations must address the “prevention of nonconformity due to human error, such as unintentional mistakes.” In lean, this is achieved with poka-yoke, or mistake-proofing—creating solutions that minimize the possibility of human error, such as with plugs that only fit into sockets in a specific way.

The close resemblance of the new QMS standard to lean practices reveals that organizations that want to pass the 9001:2015 ISO registration requirements can look into building lean right into their QMS. Admittedly, this may not be an ideal solution for every company, but it does present a viable option that also brings several other benefits to the table with it. Aside from making meeting compliance with a certified ISO 9001 registrar, like International Standards Authority, easier, lean’s focus on waste reduction at every level of the business ultimately benefits companies’ bottom lines. Also, by defining the value of their products and services against what a customer is willing to pay for, organizations can maintain a customer-focused perspective for less work, and without detracting from the quality of their product. (Source: Build Lean Into Your QMS When Converting to ISO 9001:2015, Quality Digest, March 31, 2014)