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Patel’s Perception: Focus on the Facts! It is time of dynamic growth; both personally and professionally, as we learn to work together more successfully than ever and partner with others for best practices. Now, more than ever, we need cooperation.

As the world becomes smaller and technology moves faster, it is imperative that we focus on the facts, and not on sensationalism and opinions. Our country was built on hard work and wisdom, and businesses flourished because of those freedoms. Teaching people better communication, and a focus on what truly matters is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

As a corporate trainer, we see new needs arising—how do we all communicate when the way we have communicated in the past is so vastly different for our workforce? Teaching phone skills, presentation skills, and exceptional customer service. Creating meaningful connections for those unpracticed to feel more accepted and a meaningful part of

the team. Enabling and empowering employees to make decisions and take chances. Developing an atmosphere of less drama, more focus on the facts and who owns responsibility for what. Is your organization in the midst of reviewing needs? Are soft skills and team building part of your corporate program? If not, start a program so you can recruit and retain the best talent for your business! Owning that responsibility is part of the new ISO requirements and key to your success. If you needs some ideas, call us at QPS for the facts. We promise your satisfaction. Course topics include:

• Developing Leaders at All Levels for the New Global Economy • Advanced Writing Skills • Facilitating Groups/Team Management • Improving Customer Satisfaction • Improving Supervisory/Managerial Skills • Leadership and Change Management

Experts in Lean Six Sigma, Management Systems, Supply Chain, Project Management & Professional Development

In this Issue • • •

Educational Highlight: Understanding the Process

Approach for ISO Page 2-3

QPS Corporate News

Page 4

QPS Satellite News Page 5

Upcoming FREE Events!

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Fall 2017

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Understanding the Process Approach for ISO 9001:2015 - by Jay Patel

PROCESS APPROACH

ISO 9001 2015 section 0.3 expects organizations to adopt a process approach and section 5.1.1 asks top management to exercise leadership by promoting an awareness of this approach. But what is it?

The process approach is a management strategy. When managers use a process approach, it means that they manage and control the processes that make up their organizations, the interactions between these processes, and the inputs and outputs that tie these processes together. It also means that they manage these process interactions as a system.

When applied to quality management, it means that they manage processes and process interactions as a coherent process-based quality management system (QMS).

PROCESS DEFINITION

A process is a set of activities that are interrelated or that interact with one another. Processes use resources to transform inputs into outputs. They are interconnected because the output from one process often becomes the input for another process. The definition I have used for more than 15 years is “a series of steps that lead to a desired result.” This may seem less eloquent than the ISO 9000 definition, but not all processes are transformations. Many service processes entail only treating, assessing, informing, altering or moving stuff from one place to another.

INPUTS AND OUTPUTS PROCESS

The new standard defines an output as the “result of a process” and then goes on to list four general types of outputs: services, software, hardware, and processed materials. However, ISO's very broad definition suggests that there are many more types of outputs. If an output is the result of a process, then many kinds of outputs (results) are possible including not only tangible outputs like products but also intangible ones.

So outputs could include not only services, software, hardware, and processed materials, but also decisions, directions, instructions, plans, policies, proposals, solutions, expectations, regulations, requirements, recommendations, complaints, comments, measurements, and reports. Clearly, an output could be almost anything.

But what about inputs? Since the output of an upstream process often becomes the input for a downstream process, outputs and inputs are really the same thing.

PROCESS INTERACTIONS

When you think about all the processes that could make up a QMS and then think about all the possible input-output relationships that tie these processes together, you soon realize how big

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and complex such a system is. Because of this, you may find it difficult to create a single map or diagram of your entire process-based QMS. There are just too many processes and too many input-output relationships.

For this reason, we suggest that you diagram one process at a time using a single flowchart on a single page (see below). This will allow you to specify the most important input-output relationships without getting buried in complexity. The diagram below shows, in general terms, how this could be done.

The box in the center is the process you want to diagram. That’s your focus. Upstream processes provide outputs for the central process and downstream processes receive inputs from them. Arrows represent inputs and outputs and the associated text describes them. These arrows also show that an input-output relationship is sometimes a two-way street. Sometimes inputs go one way and outputs go the other way.

PROCESS-BASED QMS

ISO 9001 sec. 0.3 introduces the concept of a process-based QMS and sections 4 to 10 explain what is needed to establish one. But what is it?

A process-based QMS uses a process approach to manage and control how its quality policy is implemented and how its quality objectives are achieved. A process-based QMS is a network of interrelated and interconnected processes. Each process uses resources to transform inputs into outputs. Since the output of one process becomes the input of another process, processes interact and are interrelated by means of such input-output relationships. These process interactions create a single integrated process-based QMS.

PROCESS EXAMPLES

Since the process approach is now central to ISO 9001, we've tried to identify the processes that could make up a process-based QMS. Some of these are listed below, and some overlap.

How you define your processes is entirely up to you. Each organization's list varies significantly.

*Design *Development *Training *Manufacturing *Planning *Maintenance *Service Delivery Assembly *Market Research *Marketing *Internal Auditing *Communications *Document Control *Innovation *Management Review *Traceability *Purchasing Process *Complaint Handling *Validation *Records Mgmt. *Verification

This Plan-Do-Check-Act process approach is all around us. It is used for business process planning, BPM, and to determine the ability of the process system to achieve planned results — process effectiveness. Now, ISO has incorporated it into the newest requirements.

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Are you ready? - JP

QPS Corporate News Congratulations, Unicor Students!

Lean Deployment Training Complete for

UNICOR INDUSTRIES: 3 Locations * North Haven, CT * Putnam, CT * Marlboro, MA

“The capacity to learn is a GIFT; the ability to learn is a SKILL; the willingness to learn is a CHOICE.”

-Brian Herbert

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QPS Satellite News

Ed May, Director of Training in our Woodbridge, NJ office, celebrates the new

graduates of AS9100D at

Kriesler Industrial Corporation

Join us in congratulating their efforts!

~QPS Is Your Partner In Success~ QPS HAS EXPANDED ITS TRAINING SPACE!

Come by and see our THREE new classrooms; an additional 800sf for capacity to handle MORE public/ASQ training, evening and weekend schedules!

PMI Registered Education Provider PMI R.E.P.s are organizations that we have approved to offer training in project

management and issue professional development units (PDUs) to meet the continuing education requirements needed by PMI credential holders. To earn the R.E.P. designation, a provider must meet or exceed rigorous standards for quality

and effectiveness as defined by PMI.

http://www.pmi.org/learning/training-development/reps

Exemplar Certified Training Provider

Supporting professionals to develop their skills for the growth of business, and helping people build their resumes for better jobs is the most rewarding

part of what we do—Congratulations to all the students who worked hard to achieve new levels of understanding and growth!

At QPS, we want to be YOUR training resource to improve, innovate,

and transform your business!

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Upcoming Free Events and Locations Thinking ISO Transition? Let us know if you would like to take part—

*For a full course offering and dates, go to www.qpsinc.com/trainingcalendar to review and download our calendar

************************************************ COMING SOON! WATCH FOR NEW TRAINING CLASSES IN CORPORATE AND PERSONAL WELLNESS! *******************************************

QPS is accredited by IACET. We comply with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As

a result of the accreditation, QPS is authorized to issue IACET CEUs.

Our ISO Certified Instructors will provide an overview to the changes to the standard, understanding the requirements, and how to implement them.

Click here to register for FREE ISO Training Event!

ISO 9001:2015 Changes November 6 4-5:30p Marlborough, MA

ISO 9001:2015 Changes November 10 12-1:30p Online

ISO 13485:2016 Changes November 13 4-5:30p Woodbridge, NJ

ISO 13485:2016 Changes November 17 12-1:30p Online

IATF 16949:2016 Changes November 20 4-5:30p Philadelphia, PA

IATF 16949:2016 Changes November 27 12-1:30p Online

ISO 9001:2015 Changes December 1 12-1:30p Woodbridge, NJ

ISO 9001:2015 Changes December 4 4-5:30p Online

ISO 13485:2016 Changes December 8 12-1:30p Chicago, IL

ISO 13485:2016 Changes December 11 4-5:30p Online

IATF 16949:2016 Changes December 15 12-1:30p Marlborough, MA

IATF 16949:2016 Changes December 18 4-5:30p Online

AS 9100D:2016 Changes December 22 12-1:30p Hartford, CT

Our ISO Certified Instructors will provide an overview to the changes to the standard, understanding the requirements, and how to implement them.