Category: Quality

  • ISO Standards Development

    ISO Standards Development

    Developing ISO standards ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. Linked off its home page is an ‘About Us’ page that provides much of the information used to put this article together. If you want it from the horse’s mouth follow the links and explore for yourself. In the middle of the ISO About Us…

  • Reading list

    (c) Paul Simpson 2024 I have always done a lot of reading. It remains the best way for me to learn something new. In 2024 I have decided to add my reading list to my posts with links to the books and any comments I have on the usefulness (or otherwise). I have included novels…

  • Boeing 737 Max 9

    Footage from the Alaskan Airlines flight landing at Portland, Oregon over the weekend was dramatic. Images showed a refrigerator-sized hole in the side of the craft, with terminal building lights visible through the gap as the plane landed. The cause of the emergency was a cabin door exit plug had blown out and the aircraft…

  • Is a missed government target a quality issue?

    In this recent BBC Article, the RAC stated that a government objective for every motorway service station in England to have at least six rapid or ultra-rapid chargers had been missed by the end of 2023. Politics aside, this made me think of the interconnectedness of our lives. Consumers are buying electric vehicles at an…

  • Post Office Horizon IT Scandal

    The TV series Mr Bates vs the Post Office portrays the shameful treatment of Sub Postmasters and Postmistresses by Post Office Ltd. The systemic failings of governance and assurance led to the persecution of innocent individuals, impacting hundreds of lives. The Horizon software’s quality was questioned, highlighting the miscarriage of justice. This drama sheds light…

  • ISO 9001:2015 – risk and opportunities

    Below is an article I added to CQI’s blog in November 2015. In the third instalment of our guest blog series in collaboration with PMI, Paul Simpson asserts that, just as there are risks and opportunities that we respond to in daily organisational life, quality professionals should focus on the opportunities for improvement presented in ISO 9001:2015.…

  • ISO 9001:2015 Context is King

    In the article added to CQI’s blog in October 2015, the focus is on the significance of ‘context’ in ISO 9001:2015. Using a local corner shop as an example, the article emphasizes the need for organizations to understand and adapt to their operating environment. It highlights the responsibilities and implications of the standard’s requirements.

  • Lessons learned

    Business leaders and politicians frequently vow to “learn the lessons” from disasters such as election upsets, corporate failures, and tragedies like the Grenfell tower fire. Despite these promises, there is little evidence of meaningful change. The cycle of rhetoric and repetition continues, raising questions about when tangible action will follow.

  • 50% time elapsed – does that equal 50% complete?

    15 March 2017 has been and gone, it marked the halfway point for transition to certification to the latest edition of ISO 9001. If the project plan to have all certified organisations transition to the 2015 edition by 15th September 2018 is half complete then where are we compared with the gantt chart or resource…

  • Fail to control design = designed to fail?

    I had a recent and very specific query recently about design process and effectiveness measures for Management Review in a Medical Devices environment. The question was specifically about demonstrating that outputs of the design process match inputs and whether this was acceptable to present to the Top Management team? The question was also about ISO…