A model to increase the value of ISO9001 documented procedures : A case study

Abstract: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has been facilitating the coordination of industrial standards since 1947 (ISO, 2007), and for many years ISO 9001 has been the most popular standard in the area of quality improvement and management. However many companies face difficulties when implementing it and/or passing the time, a difference between the procedures and the actual processes, which could bring major consequences. The main purpose of this study is to extend the theory of the process of documentation by analyzing the nature of this gap and its causes, create a model to reduce this problem and justify it by studying our problem consequences. The research itself follows the model designed. It starts with document research and on-site observations that revealed several improve opportunities for our case company (Alstom Power Sweden). The results show how important the employee involvement and the management encouragement are for the beneficial use of ISO9001. It also demonstrates that the real value of the documented procedures is the findings during the “making of” and its revisions. Nevertheless, besides analyzing the particular opportunities and giving suggestions for solution, we modeled the vicious cycle that in the general case, organizations might deal with and gave recommendations to break it.