Certification Requirements and Process Frameworks (Executive Summary)

Organizations need a process framework for benchmarking, managing processes, and improving performance. Additionally given that the 2015 updates to ISO 9001 standards have a significant process focus; organizations are looking for ways to align their process frameworks with certification requirements. By integrating or aligning their quality audits with internal process management, organizations are able to improve the ease of their external audits and reduce redundant or conflicting efforts for internal performance management. 

More specifically, the definitions laid out in frameworks can help an organization with managing and naming documentation, reviews, updates, and compliance (e.g., Sarbanes-Oxley). A matrix structure can also benefit in addressing ISO 9001 section 9.1 (monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation) to leverage frameworks for benchmarking and internal auditing. 

However, that is easier said than done. Relevant questions arise such as: 

• Who should lead the efforts? 
• What should be included? 
• How do we make sure people use it?

To answer these questions, APQC conducted a study to explore how organizations connect their processes to certification standards to improve the auditing experience and ensure process and quality efforts work toward the same goals. This is an executive summary of  the full report that came out of that study.