The True Value of Your ISO Documents: A Farm-to-Business Analogy

When some items aren’t quickly replaced, people immediately notice their absence. Others disappear without a trace, their loss barely registering.

I live on a farm and on a farm, things go missing. It’s a fact of life.

When some items aren’t quickly replaced, people immediately notice their absence. Others disappear without a trace, their loss barely registering.

There is a story here for your business documents, particularly those related to quality management.

Ask yourself: Which documents in your organization could vanish without anyone noticing?

Now, flip that question: Which ones are so valuable that their absence would set off immediate alarms?

In many organizations, key ISO documents like Quality Manuals and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) gather dust, only seeing the light of day when an external auditor comes knocking.

This scenario often indicates two critical issues:

1. Weak Internal Auditing: Your organization might benefit from one-on-one, on-site internal auditing training.

2. Poor Process Understanding: There’s likely a lack of clarity about processes, risks, consequences, and controls. We call this the “PPP Disease” - Poorly Planned Processes.

Every word in your quality management system should carry weight. If your system exceeds 25 pages for up to four standards, you’re likely wasting time and resources on superfluous content.

Remember: If I can take it without you missing it, it holds no real value for your organization.

The goal isn’t to bloat your system with unnecessary documentation. Instead, focus on creating lean, meaningful documents that your team actively uses and would immediately miss if they disappeared.

Are you ready to trim the fat from your quality management system? To create documents so valuable that their absence would be immediately felt? Let’s analyze and assess your management system together. Reach out today, and let’s ensure every word in your quality documents truly counts.

Debra Matthews Hampton, PE

ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 13485

Passionate about simplifying and creating effective ISO Management Systems  

www.CE-Q.com 

P.S. Ready to transform your business with documents that matter? Let's talk about how we can implement this framework in your organization. Contact us today for a free consultation. Call 229-798-0277 or email debra@ce-q.com to start your journey towards operational excellence.

Remember, it really can be this simple!