7.1.3 Infrastructure - ISO 9001/AS9100
What is infrastructure?
Managing resources is an important part of running a business smoothly and efficiently, which is why section 7.1 of the ISO 9001/AS9100D/AS9120 standard is entirely dedicated to resource coverage. Section 7.1.3 under resources requires the organization to plan, provide and manage its infrastructure effectively.
Having adequate resources is essential to ensure product conformity & satisfy customer requirements, as many organizations experience QMS issues as a result of insufficient or improper utilization of resources.
The infrastructure of an organization consists of physical assets that allow them to maintain their operations. These assets will differ depending on the organization and the nature of their offerings.
Different Types of Infrastructure
Here are examples of different types of organizations with various assets specific to them:
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- Engineering firm – This type of organization relies on their infrastructure to provide and store information. This information is typically stored digitally using computer hardware and software; thus, maintenance of its IT structure is critical for their success. This type of organization’s infrastructure would be made up of technological devices and software.
- Manufacturing plant – An organization like this relies heavily on industrial machines and equipment to carry out their production. These machines typically have a monthly, quarterly, and yearly maintenance program that is scheduled in a way that equipment downtime is minimized. Both the maintenance of the equipment and the equipment itself makes up the infrastructure for this type of organization.
- Engineering firm – This type of organization relies on their infrastructure to provide and store information. This information is typically stored digitally using computer hardware and software; thus, maintenance of its IT structure is critical for their success. This type of organization’s infrastructure would be made up of technological devices and software.
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- Distribution company – This type of organization revolves around moving product and securely storing it. The infrastructure for this company may consist of trucks, warehouses, and the maintenance for these assets. For example, maintenance for the trucks is often done through a contract with a fleet maintenance company, while the warehouse maintenance is taken care of by the company leasing the building. All of these factors are taken into account when considering and planning for the infrastructure of the organization.
Larger organizations may get external expertise to help evaluate these factors and make appropriate decisions about how to best allocate resources for current and future growth in order to meet business and quality management objectives.
Smaller organizations may use internal expertise comprising of a cross-functional team to perform this assessment, using techniques such as Failure mode and Effects (FMEA) or CMMS software to maintain the database of the organization’s infrastructure resources.
When developing infrastructure plans, an organization should consider strategic factors such as future needs, current availability and capacity, contingency plans, etc. This planning may be done through business and QMS planning.