15） Entrance to Management System
Aside from product standards for shapes and sizes (cf. screw drivers),
MSS (Management System Standards) aims to extend the concept of standards and adopt them to much broader areas.
In other words, the scope of standards is stretching its reach from visible ‘products’ to invisible ‘organization structures’.
There are 2 pillars in ISO Management System;
One is the ISO 9000 family which addresses “Quality management” and another is the ISO 14000 family which addresses “Environmental management”.
These families are developed based on a recurring 4-step- action of ‘PDCA cycle’ which is also known as Deming cycle; Plan→Do→Check→Action.
ISO Management System requires users implementing this cycle and ‘visualize’ standards.
Even though each MSS family clearly specifies ‘requirements’, the way how you implement the requirements are not provided.
That is the big difference from other ISOs for products.
It means when you implement MSS, the way how you put MSS into practice can be tailored and varied to each organization’s needs.
Here’s a question for you.
What does ‘management’ mean?
Well, a dictionary might give you an answer as ‘operation’ or ‘administration’.
These interpretations sometime cause organizations confusions and objections while they are implementing MSS.
Then what is the radical meaning of ‘management’?
Just wait till next issue……