This article explains how to identify the business processes that need to be documented for ISO 9001 and how to document them.
Creating business process maps is an essential part of complying with clause 4.4 of ISO 9001, as it helps organisations understand, document, and improve their processes. We advocate using flow diagrams since they provide clear visualisation of how processes operate within your organisation.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create effective business process maps to comply with ISO 9001:
- Identify Key Processes: Identify the key processes within your organisation that are relevant to the ISO 9001 standard. These may include processes related to Customer onboarding, Product/service delivery, Customer support, Quality management etc.
- Gather Information: Collect all necessary information about each process. This includes inputs, outputs, activities, resources, responsibilities, and any relevant documents or records.
- Define Process Boundaries: Clearly define the boundaries of each process to ensure that it is distinct and manageable. This helps prevent overlap or gaps between processes.
- Map the Process Flow: Use flowcharting techniques to visually represent the flow of each process. Start with the initial input and end with the final output. Use standard symbols for activities, decisions, inputs, outputs, and flow direction.
- Detail Each Step: Provide detailed information for each step of the process. Include descriptions of activities, criteria for completion, resources required, and any relevant documentation or forms.
- Identify Controls and Measures: Identify process controls and performance measures that ensure the process is being executed effectively and efficiently. This may include checkpoints, quality checks, or performance metrics.
- Document Supporting Information: Document any supporting information or documentation related to the process, such as work instructions, procedures, forms, or records.
- Review and Validate: Review the process maps with key stakeholders to ensure accuracy and completeness. Validate the flows against actual processes to verify their effectiveness.
Later steps will focus on:
- Update and maintain: Regularly update and maintain the process maps to reflect any changes or improvements to the processes. Ensure that all stakeholders have access to the most current versions.
- Train Employees: Train employees on how to use and interpret the process maps effectively. Make sure they understand their roles and responsibilities within each process.
- Monitor and Improve: Continuously monitor the performance of the processes and use the process maps as a tool for identifying areas for improvement. Implement corrective actions as necessary to maintain compliance with ISO 9001 standards.
By following these steps, you can develop clear and comprehensive business process flow diagrams that comply with ISO 9001 requirements, facilitating better understanding, management, and improvement of processes within the organisation.
Examples
Here are some example of the basic steps that might be considered:
1. Customer Support
- Help desk - basic support query handling
- Escalate to DevOps
- Root cause analysis
- Develop fix
- Test fix
- Operational/help documentation updated
- Fix provided to customer
- Feedback
- Input to continuous improvement
2. Sales/Customer onboarding
- Lead generation
- Lead qualification
- Product demonstration
- Trial set up
- Proposal and contract review
- Agreement signed
- Onboarding
- User training
- Ongoing account management
This example shows how those steps can be used in the process flow diagram:
