[fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Standards such as ISO9001:2015 are generic and applicable to many organisations, both service and manufacture. Section 8 of the standard deals with operation but basically asks you to demonstrate how your product or service is realised and how the controls you have in place allow you to achieve the desired outcome. Provided evidence is presented that supports this, there is usually no problem with complying to this requirement.
Other standards such as the British Retail Consortium Global Standard for Consumer Products are sector specific and contain a number of mandatory requirements for operational control that must be complied with in order to obtain certification.
The mandatory requirements contained in the British Retail Consortium Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 3 are:
1. Senior management commitment and continual improvement
“The company’s senior management shall demonstrate that they are fully committed to the implementation of the requirements of the Global Standard for Consumer Products. This shall include provision of adequate resources, effective communication, systems of review and actions taken to identify and effect opportunities for improvement”.
2. Risk management
“The company’s senior management shall demonstrate that they are fully committed to the implementation of the requirements of the Global Standard for Consumer Products. This shall include provision of adequate resources, effective communication, systems of review and actions taken to identify and effect opportunities for improvement”.
3. Corrective and preventive action
“The company’s senior management shall ensure that procedures exist to record, investigate, analyse and correct the cause of non-conforming products or failure to meet standards, specifications and procedures which are critical to product safety, legality and quality”.
4. Traceability
“The company’s senior management shall ensure that procedures exist to record, investigate, analyse and correct the cause of non-conforming products or failure to meet standards, specifications and procedures which are critical to product safety, legality and quality”.
5. Internal site: layout, product flow and segregation
“Premises and plant shall be suitably designed, constructed and maintained so as to control the risk of product contamination and to comply with all relevant legislation”.
6. Cleaning procedures
“Housekeeping and cleaning systems shall be in place which ensure that adequate standards of cleanliness and tidiness are maintained at all times and the risk of contamination is minimised”.
7. Product analysis/testing
“A suitable, sufficient and validated testing regime shall be in place to ensure the safe, legal production of products to the required conformance of safety, legality and quality. Results from the programme shall be recorded, reviewed and stored securely”.
8. Control of operations
“The company shall be able to demonstrate effective control of all operations undertaken, to ensure product safety, legality and quality and ensure that the processes and equipment employed are capable of producing consistently safe and legal product with the desired quality characteristics”.
9. Control of incoming components and raw materials
“The company shall have procedures to specify, validate and approve incoming materials, which shall include any testing, inspection or review of certificates of analysis.”
10. Training and competency
“The company shall ensure that personnel performing work that affects product safety, legality and quality are demonstrably competent to carry out their activity, through training, work experience or qualification”.
The requirements of the British Retail Consortium Global Standard for Consumer Products are more prescriptive than those of ISO9001:2015 but can be considered a guide the recognised good practice for your industry sector and is a useful benchmark for your process.
Peter Jones
March 2016[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
