This is a follow-up on What Causes A Bad Factory QMS Implementation? [Reason 1], as I expose a few common issues that make a factory's work much harder than it should be. If you are starting to work on a program to raise product quality in your factory, you may want to set a goal such as "get certified to ISO 9001 in 12 months", but is it the right way to frame it to your employees? You may be sending the wrong message. … [Read more...]
ISO 9001 QMS Features, Benefits, & Implementation Tips [Podcast]
In This Episode... Phil Brown, owner of Phil Brown Consultancy, who is an ISO 9001 and 14001 consultant in the UK joins us in this episode of the China manufacturing decoded podcast. Phil talks us through the ISO 9001 QMS, the requirements that make up this standard, benefits, the difference between good and bad implementations, and some tips from him to follow if you're implementing the QMS sometime soon. Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right … [Read more...]
What Causes A Bad Factory QMS Implementation? [Reason 1]
When we look at the root causes of many quality issues in China or Vietnam, we find "there is no quality system at the factory" or "they supposedly have one, but it was a really bad QMS implementation". I thought about it and I can point to a few serious misconceptions that have derailed the QMS implementations in many factories. They are very common when a company got ISO 9001 certified, in particular. Let's cover the first reason for a bad QMS implementation in this article: Hire a good … [Read more...]
Does ISO 9001 Actually Prevent Process Improvements?
As I wrote before, I believe that a good implementation of ISO 9001 does help a manufacturer quite a bit, while a bad one will only create issues. And the reason is simple. ISO 9001 allows an organization to set any system it wants, as long as they make sense and they respect a set of minimum requirements. The problem is, many factories think "we would get more customers if we had that certificate", so they go out and find templates and make it all look like it is alive in their company... … [Read more...]
What Is The Minimum Viable Quality Management System For A New Manufacturer? [8 Steps]
I have often looked for best practices by looking at the automotive industry's practices when considering what the minimum viable quality management system for a new manufacturer can be. For example: ISO/TS 16949: Great Improvements Over ISO 9001 (Note: that standard is now called IATF 1m6949 and is even more work to apply) Best Practices for Qualifying a Chinese Factory (Note: that is called the PPAP) So, if IATF 16949 is "ISO 9001 ++", let's look at the opposite. What would "ISO … [Read more...]