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Operation ISO 9000

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DQI Bureau
New Update

Top management plays a key role in ISO implementation. The

visibility of its role is often treated as an indication of the management's commitment.

Top managers have to be prime movers for the implementation and their role is not just

that of adhering to laid down procedures. Top management has to provide the vision,

determine the overall framework and ensure that the spirit of the implementation is

understood besides providing resources.

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The activities to be undertaken by top management for ISO

implementation include:

  • Initiation of the Operation ISO 9000 which consists of:
  • Defining the quality policy
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  • Appointing the management representative
  • ensuring the visibility of the project.
  • Restructuring of the organization for effective

    implementation of ISO 9000.
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  • Review and approval of the 'Operation ISO 9000' plan and

    allocation of suitable resources and adequate funds. Management commitment is needed for

    financial, personnel and material resources. Review of the impact of `Operation ISO 9000'

    on business processes and reengineering of the business processes, if required.
  • Participation in the management reviews and audits as

    required and discharging any additional responsibilities specified in the Quality System

    (QS) for top management. Management needs to set aside time for these activities.
  • Supporting the organization by suitable morale boosting and

    counselling.
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  • On an on-going basis, top management has to take into

    account the impact of 'Operation ISO 9000' on its activities. Planning needs to include

    periodic surveillance and recertifcation activities.
  • On-going activities, for example management reviews,

    specified for top management need to be performed.
  • Continued visibility and support of top management to ISO is

    required.
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    The top management should have a clear understanding of the

    scope of the ISO standard. While the management need not be familiar with details of how

    the ISO standard is being implemented, they need to have an overview of how the quality

    system satisfies the requirement of the ISO standard.

    Quality manager



    The quality manager will usually be the management representative, responsible for
    'Operation ISO 9000'.

    The quality manager's responsibilities will typically

    include the following:

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    • Planning for and executing the implementation of the ISO

      standard. This will involve identifying all activities, resource requirements, effort

      requirement and planning the schedules. The quality manager will monitor all the

      activities to ensure that the implementation is on schedule.
    • Briefing top management on the implementation status and

      following up with them for resources and any other support required.
    • Reporting to the management on the performance of the QS.
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      Significant activities in the initial implementation

      includes:

      • Structuring the QS documentation.
      • Coordinating the documentation of a QS which meets the

        requirement of the ISO standard.
      • Training and assisting persons in the organization in

        understanding and implementing the QS.
      • Accepting feedback on all implementation issues and acting

        on it.
      • Selecting a suitable certifying body.
      • Liaising with external parties on matters related to the QS,

        including coordinating the ISO assessment with the selected certifying body.
      • The quality manager needs to ensure that the QS adequately

        covers the ISO standard and should be familiar with its structure. On an on-going basis,

        the quality manager's activities will be as defined in the QS and will typically include:

        • Planning for and coordinating quality training programs.
        • Gathering data and performing statistical analysis.
        • Performing assessments of sub-contractors.
        • Monitoring the implementation of the QS by planning and

          conducting audits and following up on the actions.
        • Maintaining various versions of the QS and ensuring that the

          correct versions of the QS are available to the appropriate persons.
        • Managing the quality assurance function in accordance with

          the QS.
        • Maintenance of quality records.
        • Technical director



          The technical director is the person who is the senior- most manager of the technical

          function and has the technical staff reporting to him/her. The technical director needs to

          act as a facilitator and provide all required resources and support to technical persons

          executing projects for conforming to ISP requirements. In addition, he/she needs to

          initiate amendments to the QS taking into account the trends in the software industry and

          the profile of projects executed by the organization (life-cycle models, methodologies,

          standards etc).

          In the initial phases of ISO implementation, the technical

          director has to be involved with several activities which are critical to developing and

          implementing a suitable QS (consultants may be called in for assisting in some of these

          activities). The Technical Director needs to:

          • Provide inputs for structuring those parts of the QS which

            are related to the technical functions.
          • Provide the framework for the QS with respect to the

            life-cycle models and tools, methodologies and techniques for software development.
          • Provide qualified resources for writing and reviewing QS so

            that it is practical and cost effective.
          • Monitor the implementation of the QS in all projects.
          • Provide guidance to technical staff for ensuring conformance

            to ISO standards and remove any doubts/apprehensions. The technical director needs to be

            conversant with the technical coverage of QS to perform this activity effectively.
          • Project manager



            The project manager has the overall responsibility for the execution of the project.

            To ensure that they conform to ISP standards, project managers need to be conversant with

            the standards and procedures related to the execution and audit of projects. As activities

            during project execution may have contractual implications, project managers need to have

            an understanding of the ISO perspective on contracts and contractual implications.

            In the initial stages of the ISO implementation, the

            project managers will typically be required to contribute significantly to the development

            of the QS, specifically to the format and guidelines for the development plan and related

            standards and procedures. On an ongoing basis, the project managers will have to prepare

            the development plan in accordance with the standards and ensure that the work proceeds

            according to the plan.



            The Quality Manager of the '90s

            face="Arial" size="2">The quality manager of the future will likely have two primary

            roles: administering the quality department and assisting upper managers with strategic

            quality management.

            The future role of a quality department is shown below. It

            will include traditional activities, but also some important departures from the norm.

            Note, for example, the last item: transferring activities

            to line departments. In recent decades, it has become clear that by far the best way to

            implement quality methods is through line organizations rather than through a staff

            quality department. (Isn't it a shame that it took us so long to understand this point?)

            The Quality Department of the Future

            • Company-wide quality planning
            • Executive reports on quality
            • Audit of outgoing quality
            • Coordination and assistance on improvement projects
            • Training for quality
            • Consulting for quality
            • New quality methodologies
            • Transferring activities to line departments.
            • While the project managers will need to have a general

              understanding of all standards related to software development, specifically they will be

              responsible for the following aspects of the QS:

              • Maintenance, issue and sign-off of the development plan
              • Configuration management and change control
              • Coordination of hardware and software purchase sub-contracts

                for the project
              • Quality control
              • All interactions with the customers, especially those having

                contractual implications
              • Risk assessments and suitable highlighting of risks/problems

                to senior management
              • Project monitoring and status reporting
              • Ensuring that all team members know what is expected of them

                to conform to the ISO standards.
              • Detection and control of non-conformance collection of

                metrics.
              • Quality records of the project
              • The analysts



                On an on-going basis, analysts need to ensure that their activities are in accordance

                with the QS. Analysts will need to be familiar with and to implement standards and

                procedures on design and program specifications, system testing, acceptance testing,

                reviews and quality records. While working on specific projects, they will need to

                understand their documented role and agree to it. They will also need to understand the

                reporting required from them and conform to it. They will be expected to have a reasonable

                understanding of the following aspects of the QS:

                • Life-cycle models to be used
                • Methodology for analysis and design
                • Formats and standards for documenting analysis and design
                • Reviews and incorporation of review findings
                • Maintenance of quality records as applicable
                • Standards for design of program specification
                • Configuration management and document control as applicable
                • Procedures for detecting and rectifying 'non-conforming'

                  items
                • Test plans, test reviews and maintenance of test records
                • In case the work includes supervising persons, the

                  procedures for allocating, monitoring work and risk assessment.
                • Persons at the analyst level may be made responsible for

                  the quality control activities of a project. In such cases, the roles and responsibilities

                  will be as defined in the project development plan. In addition, these persons will need

                  to have a perspective of the Quality Assurance (QA) procedures and concepts.

                  The duties of configuration management for a project may

                  also be assigned to persons at this level. The roles and responsibilities will be as

                  defined in the project development plan. The type of activities will include change

                  control, document control, version control, release procedures, product identification and

                  traceability.

                  QA Teams' area of activity

                  face="Arial" size="2">Rank Activity

                  1. Deploying specific new and improved processes (JAD, testing,

                    structured analysis)
                  2. Developing processes and standards
                  3. Implementing measurement programs (defects, self-

                    assessments, quality metrics)
                  4. Training and education
                  5. Supporting quality team activities (facilitating, tools,

                    consulting.
                  6. Programmers



                    On an on-going basis, programming staff needs to ensure that they work in accordance

                    with the QS. Programming staff will need to be trained to implement standards and

                    procedures on coding and testing. For their roles and responsibilities as defined for a

                    project, they will need to understand the documented role and adhere to it. They will also

                    need to understand to comply to the reporting required. The staff will be expected to have

                    a reasonable understanding with the following aspects of the QS:

                    • Programming standards
                    • Testing standards
                    • Maintenance of test records and other quality records as

                      applicable
                    • Reviews of program code/test
                    • Configuration management and document control as applicable
                    • Procedures for detecting and rectifying 'non-conforming'

                      items.
                    • Other managers



                      Managers responsible for activities like training, allocation of persons to projects,

                      purchase, contracts and support services need to fulfil the following responsibilities for

                      ISO implementation:

                      • Training need analysis

                    • Maintaining training records
                    • Ensuring that persons assigned to projects have relevant

                      skills and training
                    • Reviewing contracts
                    • Implementing purchase procedures
                    • Providing infrastructure for maintenance of documents and

                      quality records
                    • Ensuring that services provided (example office security,

                      communications, computing facilities etc) for the execution of software development meet

                      the requirement laid out in the QS and planning documents.
                    • All senior managers need to have an overall perspective of

                      the coverage of the QS, with more detailed knowledge of areas impacting their work and

                      responsibilities.

                      Three Reasons Why Quality Programs Fail

                      face="Arial" size="2">Most companies actually sabotage their own quality efforts. What do

                      they do wrong? There are three mistakes commonly made. These are:

                      • Short-term thinking
                      • Insufficient training,
                      • And an emphasis on cutting costs.
                      • A round up



                        Implementing ISO involves all levels of the organization. Top management needs to play

                        a very active role in implementing the ISO standards. It has to provide all resources and

                        support required for 'Operation ISO 9000' besides ensuring adequate visibility of its

                        support and suitable morale boosting and counselling. It also needs to incorporate the

                        impact of ISO implementation in its corporate planning and approach.

                        The quality manager, who is also typically the management

                        representative, is responsible for planning and executing the operation. Managing the QA

                        functions, conducting internal audits, follow-up of corrective actions, providing guidance

                        and training are some of the activities to be carried out by the him. Coordination with

                        the certifying body is also an activity he/she has to perform.

                        The role of the technical director is extremely important

                        as he/she provides inputs for structuring those parts of the QS which relate to the

                        technical function and monitors the implementation of the QS in all projects.

                        Persons at the level of project managers will contribute

                        significantly to the development of the QS and will be responsible for ensuring

                        conformance to the QS in their respective projects. Analysts, designers and programmers

                        will need to work in accordance with the project plan and standards and procedures laid

                        down in the QS.

                        Senior managers responsible for training, allocation of

                        persons to projects, purchase, contracts and support services will also need to work in

                        accordance with standards and procedures laid down in the QS for these functions.

                        Successful Quality Leaders

                        face="Arial" size="2">A consulting firm studied 24 organizations that are known for making

                        significant strides in total quality. Here's what they found out about successful quality

                        leaders:

                        • They live the strategy
                        • They communicate the vision
                        • They believe in people
                        • They capitalize on teamwork
                        • They stay the course.
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