Organise!

This vital step is just like organising anything else in your business: there needs to be a strong foundation. To create that foundation, it would be helpful to understand ISO 9001 which I will cover in a future post (or 20).

There are plenty of consulting firms that know ISO 9001 backwards and upside down, and are only too willing to "help", but be wary. Some will turn up, go through everything with a fine tooth comb, charge like a wounded bull and leave you with little more than an “official” affirmation that you need to improve your Quality Management. You already knew that! That is why you called them in the first place!

Make sure that if you engage the service of professionals, you are given practical tools (such as Quality NETbase from NETbase Solutions) in return for your hard earned money, rather than a list of recommendations, a large bill and a cloud of dust.

Here are some example key areas that can help you Organise your information. These are not iron clad but can serve as general guidance. No one knows your business better than you, so add any additional key areas but try to keep them to a minimum;

Administration (office supplies and internal overheads, such as software licenses or site costs, relating to the fundamental support of your business), Hardware (physical assets utilised in the operation of your business), Product (that which you provide to your customers, including materiel supply costs, manufacturing costs, and, ongoing design and development) Customer History (records of sales and any feedback) and Personnel (leave entitlements, training and competencies, personal contact information etc.).

Most of the above areas have specific financial values which can be reviewed and potentially improved for financial gain. They also have the most readily available information (receipts, invoices etc.) provided to you by external sources. It may even be worthwhile asking external parties to send you any records they have on your history together.

There is, however, one specific aspect of business that I have deliberately left until last: Policy and procedures. Both of these areas are the heart and soul of your business. The first defines the what type of business you aim to be. The latter is how you pursue that goal. The physical costs are results of your policies and procedures, so the importance of their definition cannot be overstated! These areas will only have documents if you have generated them yourself. Otherwise, they can just be habits that will need documenting later.

In the mean time, as you are sorting all of your data into folders (whether they be electronic or cardboard), think about where you originally wanted your business to head, and, if you still work toward that same focus. Maybe you have found a new direction?

We’ll touch more on defining the direction of your business when I cover the next step: Analyse.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to drop some comments! It will help me manage my own Quality!