Cooperation desired!
The world would probably be even more complex if there were no standards. But who sets the multitude of industry standards? And how can companies influence their design? This article shows that this is very much desirable.
The ISO 9001 standard is widely known. There are different opinions about it, and that it is an international standard with great charisma should be undisputed. Probably all quality managers have been to a course where this standard was explained. Interest is particularly high when a revision is due, as was the case most recently in 2015. Those responsible are particularly interested in the changes: What needs to be adjusted in the quality manual so that the next audit runs smoothly? Which new checklists will be used by the auditors? How can I make the innovations known in the organization? Such or similar questions are discussed during standard revisions and sometimes result in a great deal of work - for the certification companies, auditors, quality managers, the certified companies.
This naturally raises the question: Where do such revisions come from? Who comes up with the idea of introducing a "high-level structure", for example? How does the new or revised standards document come into being, which can ultimately be acquired?
How a standard is created
As is usual in quality management, the development of standards is regulated by ISO in a document development process (Fig.). The process can be found on the ISO homepage: www.iso.org; the process can be started by a Technical Committee (TC) or a Sub-Committee (SC). ISO has 249 TCs, which together have developed 22 199 standards. 4889 standards are currently under revision. The TC responsible for quality standards is called TC 176 "Quality management and quality assurance" and is responsible for about 20 standards. In addition to the actual Q standards 9000ff, there are also standards on topics such as customer satisfaction or quality in projects. An overview of the standards managed by TC 176 can be found in the table below. Eight of them are under revision.
The terms of reference of TC 176 are as follows (source: iso.org).
The scope of TC 176 is standardization in the field of quality management (generic quality management systems and supporting technologies) as well as standardization of quality management in specific areas at the request of the concerned industry and the ISO Technical Management Board. ISO/TC 176 is also entrusted with an advisory role to all ISO and IEC Technical Committees to ensure the integrity of generic quality system standards and the effective implementation of the ISO/IEC sector policy for quality management systems.
TC 176 is in turn organized into three sub-committees (SC 1 Concepts and terminology; SC 2 Quality systems; SC 3 Supporting technologies) as well as other task forces, task groups, ad hoc groups and working groups. All these committees rely on the cooperation of experts.
The supreme body for the necessary decisions in the approval process for new documents or in the election of experts to the above-mentioned bodies is the ISO member bodies represented in TC 176. For Switzerland, this is the Swiss Standards Association (SNV, www.snv.ch). For the necessary decisions, a modern electronic voting platform is used, which is administered by the SNV for Switzerland. What does the decision-making process at the SNV look like for such votes?
Standards work in Switzerland
The SNV has defined a mirror committee for each TC relevant to Switzerland. These mirror committees are made up of experts from Switzerland who wish to contribute to the work on standards. As soon as a vote is due or an important election is held at an international body, the vote is submitted electronically to the members in Switzerland and the SNV then brings this decision to the ISO ballot.
For TC 176, the SNV defined the Standards Committee 140 (NK 140). Some of the members of the NK 140 are active in various other NKs and also internationally in various TCs. This ensures that the voting decisions are based on as broad a basis as possible. The tasks of a standards committee can be described as follows:
Developing and periodically reviewing the content of the part of the national body of standards that belongs to their area of expertise. Contributing expertise to the consultation process for European and international standards. Representing Swiss interests in the relevant standards bodies of the international standards organisations (e.g. ISO, IEC, ISO/IEC), the European standards organisations (e.g. CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) and, if necessary, in foreign national standards organisations (e.g. DIN, ON, AFNOR).
Cooperation desired
On the one hand, I would like to use this article to familiarize the interested reader with the work on quality standards. On the other hand, I would also like to encourage readers to become involved in the standards work. Anyone with the relevant technical or expert knowledge can participate. Standards work is exciting, very international and spiced with a pinch of politics. Two physical meetings of the NK 140 are held in Switzerland each year, and online meetings can also be convened if required. The highlight of each year are the "General Assembly" meetings of TC 176, where the course is set for the further activities of TC 176. The meetings are attended by delegates from the respective countries. Therefore, about one hundred nations are represented at each meeting. The venues are spread around the globe. Thus, the last meeting venues were Hong Kong (2015), Rotterdam (2016), Bali (2017), Ponta Delgada (2018). For 2019, the meeting is planned in Barbados. At this annual meeting, work results will be presented, workshops for new revisions will be held, contacts will be made and alliances will be forged. Anyone interested in this very exciting work is invited to contact the author.
