10.3 Continual improvement

10. Improvement

10.3 Continual Improvement

The organization shall continually improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the quality management system.

The organization shall consider the results of analysis and evaluation (via 9.1.3), and the outputs from management review (via 9.3.3), to determine if there are needs or opportunities that shall be addressed as part of continual improvement.


Cross reference
Clause 4.4.1 (QMS and its processes)
Clause 9.1.3 (Performance analysis and evaluation)

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10.1 General improvement

10. IMPROVEMENT

10.1 General

The organization shall determine and select opportunities for improvement and implement any necessary actions to meet customer requirements (via 8.5.1) and enhance customer satisfaction (via 9.1.2). These shall include:

• a) improving products and services to meet requirements as well as to address future needs and expectations; (via 5.1.2)
• b) correcting, preventing or reducing undesired effects; (via 8.7.1, 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 10.2.1)
• c) improving the performance and effectiveness of the quality management system. (via 9.1.1)

NOTE Examples of improvement can include correction, corrective action, continual improvement, breakthrough change, innovation and re-organization.

Go to
Clause 5.3 (Organizational Roles, Responsibility and Authorities)

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7.1 Resources (7.1.1)

7. SUPPORT

7.1 Resources

7.7.1 General

The organization shall determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of the quality management system. The organization shall consider:

• a) the capabilities of, and constraints on, existing internal resources;
• b) what needs to be obtained from external providers

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5.2 Policy (5.2.1)

5. LEADERSHIP

5.2 Policy

5.2.1 Developing the Quality Policy

Top management shall establish, implement and maintain a quality policy that:

• a) is appropriate to the purpose and context of the organization and supports its strategic direction
• b) provides a framework for setting quality objectives
• c) includes a commitment to satisfy applicable requirements
• d) includes a commitment to continual improvement of the quality management system.

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4.4 Quality management system and its processes (4.4.1)

4. CONTEXT OF THE ORGANIZATION

4.4 Quality management system and its processes

4.4.1

The organization shall establish, implement, maintain and continually improve a quality management system, including the processes needed and their interactions, in accordance with the requirements of this International Standard.

The organization shall determine the processes needed for the quality management system and their application throughout the organization, and shall:

• a) determine the inputs (via 8.2.1) required and the outputs expected (via 5.1.2) from these processes;
• b) determine the sequence and interaction of these processes;
• c) determine and apply the criteria and methods (including monitoring, measurements and related performance indicators) needed to ensure the effective operation and control of these processes; (via 8.1, 8.5.1, 9.1.1)
• d) determine the resources needed for these processes and ensure their availability (via 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 7.1.4, 7.1.5 & 7.1.6);
• e) assign the responsibilities and authorities for these processes (via 5.3)
• f) address the risks and opportunities as determined in accordance with the requirements of 6.1 (via 6.1.1 & 6.1.2);
• g) evaluate these processes (via 9.1.3, 9.2.1 & 9.3.1) and implement any changes needed (via 8.5.6) to ensure that these processes achieve their intended results;
• h) improve the processes and the quality management system. (via 10.3)

Go to clause 6.1.2 (Risk and opportunities)
Go to clause 6.3 (Planning changes)
Go to clause 8.1 (Operation planning & control)

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