Training human resources according to the ISO 9001 Standard requirements
Training is one of the most important topics that the ISO 9001 Standard covers. Training could be perceived as something insignificant or not so important. Mostly, the everyday tasks postpone trainings and usually trainings are neglected. That is a mistake. A big mistake. Training, without any doubts, is what determines the quality level of your products.
Training is one of the most important topics that the ISO 9001 Standard covers. Training could be perceived as something insignificant or not so important. Mostly, the everyday tasks postpone trainings and usually trainings are neglected. That is a mistake. A big mistake. Training, without any doubts, is what determines the quality level of your products. In another article of ours we talked about the ISO 9001 requirements for job descriptions.
One of the requirements is to define the training requirements. Trainings can be internal (provided by someone within the organization) or external. In this article we will review the ISO 9001 Standard requirements for trainings and the significance of trainings. We would also suggest solutions for documenting the trainings according to the ISO 9001 Standard.
The Importance of Trainings in the Eye of the ISO 9001 Standard
The employees are the ones who produce the products. No question about that. The employees are the ones who are sitting in front of the machines, in front of the computers, in front of your customers, or assembling the products in the production halls. Industries and services today are becoming more and more different than before. The products and services supplied to customers are more complex. You must combine the two together: the human resources and the knowledge. The purpose of the training is to give your employee the opportunity to perform his job like it is planned.
Training today, is an integral part of your product. Your employee must be provided with the knowledge to produce an up-to-date product. Now, you may wish that your employees will study & research on their own, about what is new or how to produce better in your industry but usually it doesn’t happened. They never have the time. There are the daily tasks to perform and by five o’clock they must go home.
You could maintain an effective certification process for the new employees, but what about the old veterans. That’s it for them? They are the world’s best? We don’t believe so. Any employee deserves refreshing. You must initiate the trainings and provide them to your employees.Training may be expressed with the following:
- Refreshing work instructions and work procedures
- Trainings about quality procedures
- Trainings about new working procedures
- Trainings about new developments in the industry
- Trainings about innovations within the organization (new software, new regulations, new projects, etc)
- Trainings about special, specific events within the organization (special projects, or special visits in various sites)
- Coaching employees (that’s hot these days!!!)
- Trainings required by your customers
- Trainings required by any kind of legal regulations
- Trainings required by any structural changes within the organization
To achieve all of the above you must create for any function in your organization (which is related to the product, of course) a training plan. This plan must be periodic (yearly, quarterly, monthly – that is enough periodic resolution). We personally recommend that someone with experience in a specific field would write the training for any fields in your organization: a department manager or a technical manager – someone who is aware of any problems and special situations your employees must face during daily tasks of its function. He must include these problems and special situations within the training plan. The goal is to create an effective training; a training that would assist your employees and provide them with tools and knowledge for their everyday work. The plan must not be inflexible – au contraire – you may update it at any time. There is no requirement that the plan must be documented.
But there is a requirement to show evidence of performing one and there is a requirement to supervise the execution of the plan. The reason is that you shall identify any gaps between the plan and what was carried out. Complicated? We know so. Just make a plan – it will save you explanations. If you don’t have a clue about what we are talking about, you may want to review this site that provides form templates for trainings. The forms hold for the ISO 9001 Standard requirements for trainings are easy to customize and prices are reasonable: QualityManualTemplates.com. Give them a try.
As well, the training plan must cover the organization’s objectives. Within the quality manual you are required to define quality objectives. Trainings are here to assist you achieving these objectives. If you define your objectives as something like “reducing waiting time within your customers call center” – you must provide with your employees the techniques to achieve it: training to maintain a short and focused conversation, training about how to fast-find information on the ERP system etc. the purpose is to shorten as much as they can the waiting time. Help them achieve the objectives that you set!
ISO 9001 Standard Type of Trainings
There is no requirement to perform the training in the traditional way as frontal courses or lectures – you may define training as self learning or tutoring employees. You can also define a training plan for specific employees whom responsible for specific fields in your organization. The actual purpose is to plan trainings for every function in the organization that has a direct effect on the product’s quality. Here are examples for types of trainings:
- Established frontal trainings
- External courses
- A visit to exhibitions, conferences or conventions
- A visit to suppliers’ facilities
- A suppliers’ training about his products (very important! especially in commerce)
- E-learning courses
- Purchasing literature or special training software
It is possible to define within the plan more parameters such as:
- The location of the traininhttp://9001quality.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=pageg: meetings room, auditorium
- The length of the training
- Who is the tutor
You are free to determine whatever you like as long as you follow the next requirements:
- The plan must include dates (you are not required for a specific dates – periods of the year is enough)
- A minimal specification of the topics for the training
- The subjects of the training – for whom it is appointed
- The training would be based upon the organization’s requirements to produce his product or service (if you are a software designers, you won’t define a flowers growing training or how to farm in the desert)
- The training plan must be with correspondence to the organization’s quality objectives
Continue Reading the second part of the article
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