ISO 9001 7.3 Awareness
In ISO 9001 7.3 Awareness focuses on ensuring that employees and other relevant personnel are aware of how their work impacts the organization’s quality management system, objectives and performance. This clause really emphasizes the importance of making people aware of their roles and responsibilities, organizational goals and lastly how they contribute to achieving them.
7.3 Awareness is important as it builds on the importance of communication, competence and resources. Having a deeper understanding of their impact on the QMS and the organization’s ability to meet its objectives and customer expectations.
In this blog post we will be discussing the following:
· Quality Policy
· Quality Objectives
· Contributions to QMS
· Implications of Non-Conformance
· Benefits of 7.3
International Organization for Standardization. ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems – Requirements:
7.3 Awareness
The organization shall ensure that persons doing work under the organization’s control are aware of:
a) the quality policy;
b) relevant quality objectives;
c) their contribution to the effectiveness of the quality management system, including the benefits of improved performance;
d) the implications of not conforming with the quality management system requirements
Quality Policy
The Quality Policy
Complying with this clause is important as the organization must ensure that the personnel performing work affecting the QMS are aware of the following:
· The quality policy needs to be communicated in a way that is easy to understand, relevant to employees’ roles and accessible.
· Employees must understand the organization’s quality policy, which serves as a guiding principle for meeting the quality objectives.
Examples of this could include displaying the quality policy on bulletin boards, include it in training sessions, or make it part of daily meetings.
Quality Objectives
Relevant Quality Objectives
· All employees must know the quality objectives relevant to their roles and how their work contributes to achieving these objectives.
· This ensures that there is alignment between individual tasks and the organization’s overall quality goals.
Examples of this could include making an employee aware that on-time delivery is a key quality objective and that their role in ensuring accurate packaging and timely distribution contributes to this goal
Contributions to QMS
Their Contribution to the QMS
· Employees need to understand how their individual actions impact the effectiveness of the QMS, these include:
o Ensuring conformity of products and services
o Enhancing customer satisfaction
o Meeting customer requirements
Examples of this could include a customer service representative being trained properly to recognize that providing accurate customer information and resolving complaints promptly improves customer satisfaction and ultimately strengthens the QMS.
Implications of Non-Conformance
· Employees must be aware of the risks and consequences of failing to meet quality requirements, both for the organization and its customers.
· This helps reinforce accountability and encourages proactive behavior to prevent issues.
Examples of this include informing a production worker employee about how errors in assembling parts could lead to product recalls and customer dissatisfaction.
Benefits of 7.3
1. Better Customer Satisfaction: Employees who align their work with quality objectives are far more likely to meet the customer expectations consistently.
2. Improved Quality: Awareness dramatically reduces the likelihood of errors and non-conformities by promoting accountability and proactive behavior.
3. Enhanced Employee Engagement: Employees who fully understand their roles and how they contribute to organizational success are much more motivated and engaged.
4. Stronger QMS Performance: A workforce that understands and supports the QMS leads to continuous improvement and better overall performance.
In conclusion, 7.3 awareness ensures that employees are not just aware but are actively engaged in maintaining and improving the QMS. By fostering this awareness, organizations can create a culture that drives better results and customer satisfaction. In the next blog post we will be diving deeper into Clause 7.4 Communication.
Related blog posts –
ISO 9001 7.2 Competence
ISO 9001 7.1 Resources
ISO 9001 – 7 Support Overview Clause 7: 7.1 – 7.5
How to determine your QMS Scope of Certification
Improvement- The Seven Quality Management Principles
4 Steps to Achieving ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification
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