60 Seconds with Chris Smith

04 April 2017

This month’s 60 seconds is with Chris Smith, he talks about his most interesting audits being the one his mum was at and not realizing that she was going to be there. He also explains why he is a big fan of IT efficiency coming from a military background.

WHAT STANDARDS DO YOU AUDIT?

ISO 9001:2015 & progressing into ISO 27001

MOST MEMORABLE AUDITING MOMENT:

My second day training in the field- I was observing my mentor and we arrived at a company where my Mum was the Quality Co-ordinator!! Thankfully, it had been arranged beforehand and as I wasn’t having any input into the audit, so I could continue with my training. It’s the first time in 20 years that I realised what my Mum did!!!

GREATEST CLIENT BENEFIT GAINED FROM ISO CERTIFICATION:

I’ve seen many benefits in a short period of time however the most common benefit I see is the elimination of duplication. For example; where a company is inputting the same data into different forms, multiple times. I have seen organizations totally transform their computer system to streamline the process, plus I have also seen some simply change the way that the data is recorded. The increased efficiency is instantly recognised and coming from a military background I’m a big fan of efficiency!

TOP TIP FOR GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:

Make it work for you and not the other way around. Yes there is work involved in adopting an effective Management system, but if you can see the system as a way to improve then it will be a truly worthwhile addition to your organization.

MOST COMMON NON-CONFORMANCE

I would have to say the most common non-conformance is regarding document changes. For example, when an organization makes changes to and updates the quality policy statement, then forgets to change the dates to the header/footer and document register. Using older forms and not updating them also causes issues (The dreaded Copy & Paste!) It’s brilliant to see an organization taking time and interest to constantly update the quality manual, then letting themselves down with small administrative mistakes.