Promote the improvement of the Quality Management System

Clause 5.1.1 of the UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standard requires top management to promote the continuous improvement of the quality management system. This is achieved by adopting the principles of continuous improvement and the process approach, as well as fostering a leadership style that reflects behaviors aligned with these principles, enabling employees to follow management along this path.

Improving the quality management system essentially means innovating and focusing on the enhancement of:

• processes;
• products;
• services;
• overall system performance.

But why does the standard require us to improve the quality management system? The reason is simple: the quality system is an open system and, as such, is subject to external influences. Even processes considered stable cannot remain unchanged indefinitely. This is why it is necessary to establish an improvement path that continuously monitors system performance, ensuring enhancements by adapting individual processes to changes in the external environment.

As early as Ishikawa’s time, it was recognized that any standard quickly becomes obsolete and that organizations must constantly review and refine what they have standardized over time to keep these tools relevant, effective, and aligned with the reality in which they operate. To understand how right this perspective was, one only needs to consider how customer and market demands continuously evolve, challenging the viability of products or services that may have been deemed perfect just a few months earlier.

To demonstrate compliance with this section of the standard, management must commit to improving and innovating the quality system not only when forced to do so but also proactively, anticipating potential market shifts. The most effective approach to continuous improvement is to involve employees from the outset in all phases of the process. This ensures they actively contribute to innovation with their ideas while maintaining a comprehensive understanding of how changes may impact the entire system. Employees must also be aware that even a minor adjustment to one process can trigger cascading effects in other, potentially distant, areas of the system.

For this reason, any modification must be carefully evaluated and monitored not only during its implementation but also in the immediate aftermath. In practical terms, adherence to the standard’s requirements can be demonstrated by:

• providing evidence that management has initiated quality management system improvement initiatives;
• presenting proof that:
  1. employees have been trained to contribute to the improvement process by offering ideas and recommendations;
  2. processes are regularly reviewed to assess their effectiveness and, if necessary, improved;
  3. policies, procedures, standards, and instructions are continuously reviewed and enhanced;
  4. actions identified during audits are implemented without delay or hesitation.