Requirements

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6.0 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

 

The standard is specific in 4 areas under this requirement, namely:

• Provision of Resources
• Human resources
• Infrastructure
• Work Environment

 

6.1 Provision of resources

It is a management responsibility to ensure that adequate resources are provide so that the intended product of service can be supplied thus achieving customer satisfaction. In other works providing the customer WHAT they want WHEN they want it. Resources can take the form of:

• Physical (equipment, stock, raw material, buildings etc) OR
• Human Resources

In addition these resources must be capable of delivering the required processes in order to satisfy the customer. To make this possible a clear understanding of customer needs must be achieved.

 

6.2 Human Resources

This is the human component of the resources requirement where it is necessary to provide:

• competent
• aware and
• trained personnel

 

6.2.1 Competence of personnel

This states that any personnel performing quality related work must be competent on the basis of appropriate education, training, skills and experience. Competence is the ability of an incumbent to demonstrate that they can actually DO what is required of them. In order to do this they may be qualified in terms of education as training, with the right amount of skills and experience. But the most important factor is that competence is the ability to demonstrate use of these qualifications such that the task is successful. Competence must be determined for all quality related functions.

 

6.2.2 Awareness of personnel

This is all about providing context for tasks that are undertaken. That is ensuring that employees understand the importance of what they do, or the potential down sides should the fail in their tasks. A quality management system implementation should be properly motivated and explained to the staff, and benefits to the company and them are individually detailed.

 

6.2.3 Training of Personnel

This is about providing skills, via training, to staff, so that they can undertake tasks assigned to them. This is tested by asking do they have the ability to produce the desired outcome when required? If not a training need should be defined and then acted upon. Records must be kept of all education, training skills and experience.

 

6.3 Infrastructure

These are the provision of suitable physical facilities required in order to do the task. They can comprise of buildings, workspace, supporting services, tools and equipment. This is to include the maintenance of such infrastructure (keeping it in good order) and ensuring its consistent availability (what happens in the event of disaster, viruses, floods, fire, etc)

 

6.4 Work Environment

Providing the correct infrastructure and human resources is insufficient to guarantee a positive output without addressing the needs of the work environment. This is to ensure that the right physical factors (space, temperature, noise, etc), social factors (individual and corporate value system) and psychological factors (satisfying the needs of the individual) are addressed.