ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 406-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Barradas ◽  
Paulo Sampaio

Purpose According to the ISO 9001 standard, all the certified companies should calibrate their measuring equipment. By doing so, companies can guarantee, with rigor and quality, its measurement and use reliable data for monitoring the quality of their products. However, a metrology laboratory is not required to have an ISO 9001 certification or ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. At this moment, there are companies with their quality management systems certified according to the ISO 9001 standard which have metrology laboratories to make internal checks of their measuring equipment. On the other hand, there are companies with ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories. Finally, there are companies that have their QMS certified according to ISO 9001 and also their metrology laboratory accredited by ISO/IEC 17025. In this case the metrology laboratory must comply with the requirements of both standards. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the level of importance of the ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 standards from the perspective of a metrology laboratory. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology used to conduct this research was supported in case studies that had been carried out in nine metrology laboratories. The information was gathered based on semi-structured interviews. Findings After an analysis and discussion over the data obtained, the authors verified that the impact on customer perception is significantly positive, if the metrology laboratory is simultaneous certified and accredited. Originality/value From the laboratories perspective, the issue analyzed in this paper is of the utmost importance and the aim is to give the contribution in order to clarify this kind of organizations of which could be the best option for their context.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Przemysław Drożyner

PurposeThe first goal of the article was to examine how the perception of the role and scope of operation of maintenance services in the enterprise changes, depending on whether the company has an integrated management system (IMS), only a quality management system implemented in accordance with ISO 9001 and in the absence of a formal, certified management system. The second goal was to propose a model for assessing the quality of maintenance service functioning in enterprise with IMS implemented.Design/methodology/approachThe author's experience of over 1,000 audits in enterprises in various industries: food, automotive, construction, petrochemical, electronic and so on was used in the work. The audits were carried out in three types of companies: which had IMSs (800 audits), which only had a system implementation certificate ISO 9001 (140 audits) and without any standardized management system implemented (so-called second-party audits, commissioned by the client of the audited company.FindingsThe most important conclusion is – the role of UR services in enterprises with the implemented IMS is much broader and goes beyond the classic framework for planning, implementation and settlement of maintenance and repair work. Maintenance is understood more broadly and includes in its scope also the safety of people and the environment, the efficiency of production and consumption of utilities as well as the quality of products and services. Maintenance issues include not only strictly technical aspects but also economic, logistic, legal and organizational and management aspects.Practical implicationsResearch shows that enterprises, especially those with high technical and organizational culture, should not treat management systems as costs, but as a driving force for the implementation of new technologies, new organizational solutions and the development of employees' competences.Social implicationsBroad views on stakeholders of maintenance services (including employees, their families, control institutions) and their requirements make enterprises begin to see the need to maintain the so-called lifetime balance, as well as the safety and comfort of work of employees of these services.Originality/valueThe author did not find in literature any reports on studies of the impact of formal, certified management systems on the quality of maintenance services; this article shows that this impact is large and, above all, positive; with such a broad understanding of the role of maintenance, there is a need to develop a common platform for such seemingly distant concepts as machine technical condition or fatigue life versus cost accounting and quality management.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Miguel Rodríguez-Mantilla ◽  
Víctor León Carrascosa ◽  
Angélica Martínez-Zarzuelo

PurposeThe objective of this study was to evaluate and compare how school heads and teachers perceived the impact of implementing ISO 9001 Standards on the dimensions management and planning and support and recognition.Design/methodology/approachThe study included 2,192 subjects (86.2% teachers and 13.8% heads) belonging to 85 schools in four Spanish autonomous communities (Castilla y León, Community of Madrid, Andalusia and Community of Valencia). We used an instrument made up of 25 items evaluating both dimensions (Cronbach's α = 0.961). We conducted descriptive and differential analyses (applying ANOVA and calculating the effect size) overall and for the assessments by heads and teachers.FindingsResults show a higher impact in small private schools with state subsidies, with 9–11 years of ISO implementation and receiving internal aid or none at all. The impact was medium–high on the management and planning system and medium–low on support and recognition, with heads evaluating at a significantly higher level the impact of ISO 9001 standards on improvement of preparation of classroom timetables, meetings, analysis of staff expectations and recognition of staff achievements.Originality/valueImplementation of quality management systems in education has increased significantly in the last decades, and it is thus necessary to find evidence on how the resulting improvements are generated in schools. This study provides conclusions to the scientific and professional community about how school heads and teachers perceived the impact of implementing ISO 9001 standards on the dimensions management and planning and support and recognition.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 939-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra G. Leggat ◽  
Richard Gough ◽  
Timothy Bartram ◽  
Pauline Stanton ◽  
Greg J. Bamber ◽  
...  

Purpose Hospitals have used process redesign to increase the efficiency of the emergency department (ED) to cope with increasing demand. While there are published studies suggesting a positive outcome, recent reviews have reported that it is difficult to conclude that these approaches are effective as a result of substandard research methodology. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of hospital staff on the impact of a process redesign initiative on quality of care. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective qualitative case study examining a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiative in a large metropolitan hospital from 2009 to 2010. Non-probability sampling identified interview subjects who, through their participation in the redesign initiative, had a detailed understanding of the implementation and outcomes of the initiative. Between April 2012 and January 2013 26 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed with thematic content analysis. Findings There were four important findings. First, when asked to comment on the impact of the LSS implementation, without prompting the staff spoke of quality of care. Second, there was little agreement among the participants as to whether the project had been successful. Third, despite the recognition of the need for a coordinated effort across the hospital to improve ED access, the redesign process was not successful in reducing existing divides among clinicians and among managers and clinicians. Finally, staff expressed tension between production processes to move patients more quickly and their duty of care to their patients as individuals. Originality/value One of the first studies to explore the impact of process redesign through in-depth interviews with participating staff, this study adds further evidence that organisations implementing process redesign must ensure the supporting management practices are in place.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-591
Author(s):  
Toyin Ajibade Adisa ◽  
Gbolahan Gbadamosi

Purpose In recent years, there has been a rapid decline in the quality of working life (QWL) of Nigerian workers at all levels. This phenomenon is cryptic and knowledge thereof is inadequate due to a dearth of compelling research on QWL in Nigeria. The purpose of this paper is to a deeper understanding of QWL among Nigerian workers by investigating the impact of corruption and regional crises on QWL in this non-western context. The study also examines what QWL means to Nigerian employees. Design/methodology/approach The study employs qualitative data gleaned from semi-structured interviews. Findings The research reveals that corruption has a strongly negative effect on employees’ QWL, which in turn affects their motivation, attitude towards their job and the psychological contract between them and their employers. Furthermore, the findings revealed that regional crises (such as the heinous activities of the Boko Haram sect in the north–east, the continuing agitation of the secessionists (e.g. the Indigenous People of Biafra), in the south–east, and the tumultuous activities of the Niger Delta Avengers in the south–south) have combined to reduce employees’ QWL. Research limitations/implications The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the selected sample of the research (public sector employees). Originality/value These results and the practical implications thereof will be useful to the Nigerian Government, policymakers and organisations for creating and enhancing good QWL in Nigeria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1185-1202
Author(s):  
Francisco José Fernández-Cruz ◽  
Jesús Miguel Rodríguez-Mantilla ◽  
Mª José Fernández Díaz

PurposeRecently, the application of quality management systems (QMS) in educational institutions has become widespread, in an effort to improve diverse processes and results in schools. However, there are very few studies that enable us to confirm whether these QMS bring true changes that are sustainable over time and lead to improvements in these institutions.Design/methodology/approachThis study thus aims to assess the impact of the implementation of ISO:9001 standards on school climate and on the satisfaction of the members of the educational community at 80 Spanish preschools, primary and secondary schools in different autonomous communities.FindingsThe analyses performed show conclusive results regarding the impact of ISO:9001 standards on teachers' involvement in improving the school's climate, conflict resolution by the management team and in families' involvement and satisfaction with the school. However, no apparent evidence was found of the impact on relations among teachers, conflict resolution among staff members and the perception of satisfaction by the teachers themselves.Research limitations/implicationsWe must bear in mind that the results and conclusions obtained are based on the instrument developed for this study, where it has been the members of the schools themselves who have assessed the changes they have perceived or that have taken place. However, due to the limitation of the instrument, it could be complemented in future research with external evaluations that could complement the results obtained in the present study.Originality/valueFurthermore, greater impact of the ISO standards was identified in schools from certain regions (Valencia and Andalusia), in state-assisted private schools, in smaller schools and in institutions which have been implementing the QMS for longer periods of time. The management team also perceived a greater improvement in climate than did teachers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1344-1361
Author(s):  
Isaiah Oino

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of transparency and disclosure on the financial performance of financial institutions. The emphasis is on assessing transparency and disclosure; auditing and compliance; risk management as indicators of corporate governance; and understanding how these parameters affect bank profitability, liquidity and the quality of loan portfolios. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 20 financial institutions was selected, with ten respondents from each, yielding a total sample size of 200. Principal component analysis (PCA), with inbuilt ability to check for composite reliability, was used to obtain composite indices for the corporate governance indicators as well as the indicators of financial performance, based on a set of questions framed for each institution. Findings The analysis demonstrates that greater disclosure and transparency, improved auditing and compliance and better risk management positively affect the financial performance of financial institutions. In terms of significance, the results show that as the level of disclosure and transparency in managerial affairs increases, the performance of financial institutions – as measured in terms of the quality of loan portfolios, liquidity and profitability – increases by 0.3046, with the effect being statistically significant at the 1 per cent level. Furthermore, as the level of auditing and the degree of compliance with banking regulations increases, the financial performance of banks improves by 0.3309. Research limitations/implications This paper did not consider time series because corporate governance does not change periodically. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the importance of disclosure and transparency in managerial affairs because the performance of financial institutions, as measured in terms of loan portfolios, liquidity and profitability, increases by 0.4 when transparency and disclosure improve, with this effect being statistically significant at the 1 per cent level. Originality/value The use of primary data in assessing the impact of corporate governance on financial performance, instead of secondary data, is the primary novelty of this study. Moreover, PCA is used to assess the weight of the various parameters.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco José Fernández Cruz ◽  
Inmaculada Egido Gálvez ◽  
Rafael Carballo Santaolalla

Purpose Quality management systems are being used more frequently in educational institutions, although their application has generated a certain amount of disagreement among education experts, who have at times questioned their suitability and usefulness for improving schools. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this discussion by providing additional knowledge on the effects in educational institutions of implementing quality management systems. Specifically, this study investigates teachers’ and managers’ perception of the impact that quality management systems have on one essential dimension of schools, the teaching–learning processes, with impact being understood as sustained medium- and long-term organisational change. Design/methodology/approach The responses were analysed and classified into a set of sub-dimensions linked to quality management processes in a total of 29 Spanish primary and secondary education schools that have used such systems for at least three years. Findings The results showed that, according to the respondents, the following sub-dimensions were improving as a result of implementing quality management plans: teaching and learning processes, the analysis of student results, tutoring, consideration of attitudes and values and assessment processes. Conversely, quality management systems did not seem to have a clear impact on the teaching methodologies used by teachers or on family involvement in student learning. In fact, the perceived impact in these sub-dimensions varied among teachers of public and private schools as well as when comparing different regional autonomous communities. Originality/value As the main objective of a school is to guarantee student learning, one of the essential purposes of school quality assurance systems is to perform all the activities aimed at ensuring high levels of student performance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy W. Nix ◽  
Zach G. Zacharia

Purpose – Supply chains are embedded in a larger network of enterprises where firms exchange offerings, often compete for the same customers, and constantly innovate to improve their performance. In these dynamic environments, firms are increasingly dependent on the knowledge and expertise in external organizations to innovate, problem-solve, and improve performance. Firms are increasingly collaborating to exchange and pool skills and knowledge and deploy resources and capabilities not found in their own firm. This research using both structured interviews and survey data seeks to determine what are the direct benefits and the ancillary benefits of collaboration. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methodology approach was utilized, using qualitative structured interviews leading to developing a research model and then an empirical survey of 473 participants who are involved in their respective organization's collaboration projects. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine relationships between collaborative engagement, knowledge gained, operational outcomes and relational outcomes. Findings – The results of the study indicate that collaborative engagement has a direct effect on knowledge gained, operational outcomes and relational outcomes in collaboration. The ancillary benefit of collaboration is the learning that takes place leads to improved operational outcomes and relational outcomes. Research limitations/implications – In this research study all the constructs are only examined from a single perspective. This can be a limitation as it would be of greater value to collect data from all the members involved in the collaboration. Originality/value – Collaboration has been well studied in many fields but this research suggests an important ancillary benefit that needs to be considered when deciding to collaborate is the knowledge and learning that happens during a collaboration.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debby Willar ◽  
Vaughan Coffey ◽  
Bambang Trigunarsyah

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of quality management systems (QMSs) of Grade 7 (G-7) Indonesian construction companies. This includes the initial motives that have driven the development of QMSs, barriers to effective QMS implementation, the current practice and integration of QMS-ISO 9001 principles and elements, and the performance of contractors implementing such QMSs. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted involving 403 respondents (Quality Management Representatives, Managers, and Project and Site Engineers) from 77 G-7 as well as ISO 9001 certified Indonesian construction companies. Findings – The main motive for G-7 contractors in establishing and implementing ISO 9001 based QMSs are identified as being to effectively and efficiently control project activities. Respondents apparently do not often experience problems related to QMS implementation. However, issues of management attitude and purpose are identified as barriers that may affect effective QMS implementation. The study highlights the ISO 9001 principles and elements that still require to be more critically applied by G-7 contractors in order to fully implement and improve their current QMS effectiveness. The findings also suggest that, although certified, many G-7 contractors have not yet achieved a satisfactory level of performance to be truly competitive in global markets outside Indonesia. Originality/value – To date, only limited research has been conducted into the application of ISO 9001 in the Indonesian construction industry. The research findings reinforced the value of pursuing more effective QMS implementation. They also support current attempts to introduce ISO 9001 QMSs to a much wider base of Indonesian construction companies, particularly small and medium sized contractors and builders.


2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Michnik

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how Swedish local politicians perceive the impact of public library digital services on public libraries and to discuss how this can affect the sustainable development of public libraries. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with local politicians from 19 different Swedish municipalities. Data were treated to qualitative content analysis and discussed based on the concept of sustainable organization. Findings – According to local politicians, public library digital services may affect public libraries through changes to libraries’ physical spaces, librarians’ tasks and competencies and libraries’ economic situations. Based on these findings, public library digital services can both strengthen and weaken public library sustainability through, for example, increased access and expenditures, the latter of which may threaten public library sustainability. Research limitations/implications – Interviews did not focus specifically on the politicians’ views on public library digital services but dealt generally with their views on public libraries. To identify reasons for variations in views on this topic, follow-up interviews should be done. Data on views from public library managers would also be of use to determine the degree to which they are shared with local politicians. Originality/value – When sustainability and public libraries are discussed, the focus is generally on the library’s contribution to a sustainable society. Here, the focus is instead on the sustainability of the public library itself.


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