Terminology

Definition

Audit

A systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining Audit Evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine whether the Audit Criteria are fulfilled. Quality Engineered Systems offers professional auditing services [ Read More ]

Auditor

A person with the competence and authority to conduct an Audit.

Characteristic

Characteristics are the recogniseable features of a product or service that are stipulted as required. For example, products must be reliable, useable, and easily maintained, i.e. qualitative charactersitics. Their appearance should conform to accepted aesthetics and dimensions, i.e. quantitative characteristics. Similarly, services should be friendly, efficient, and effective. These are some of the characteristics that good quality products and services must have. In short, a characteristic is a distinguishing feature of a product or service.

Conformity

Conformity is about fulfilment of stated requirements. For example ISO 9001:2000 lists many quality system requirements, and a product could have many characteristic requirements.

Continual Improvement

An organisation should routinely make an effort to enhance its ability to meet requirements. Continual Improvement is the term used to describe activities centred around this function. Example of Continual Improvement activities are conducting internal audits, performing management reviews, analyzing data, and implementing corrective and preventive actions.

Corrective Actions

Corrective actions are steps that are taken to remove the root causes of an existing nonconformity or to continuously improve the organisations ability to meet requirements.

Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is the desired outcome of transacting with your customer. There can be various degrees of satisfaction, therefore this should be measured to obtain a realistic picture. Customer satisfaction depends solely on whether the customer percieves that you have met their requirements.

Customers

A customer is anyone who receives products or services from a supplier. A customer can be either external or internal (departments / business units) to the supplier organization.

Document

The term document describes the content and method of presentation of written information. The standard refers to the following types of documents: specifications, quality manuals, quality plans, records, and procedure documents. We have included some sample documents on the website which demonstrate the application of document controls and standardised layouts. [ See Samples ]

Infrastructure

This simply means all the buildings, workspaces, equipment, hardware, software, utilities, and support services used by the organisation.

Management Review

The purpose of the management review process is to evaluate the overall performance of an organization's quality management system and to identify opportunities continual improvement.  This is the responsibility of top management and should be conducted regualrly.

Nonconforming Products

Any product that fails to meet one or more requirements is referred to as Nonconforming Product. Products are identified as such in order to prevent their unintended delivery to the customer.

Nonconformity

Nonconformity is said to exist when at least one product, service or process does not meet the requirements of your quality management system.

Policy

A policy is defined as the documented guidelines that steer decision making and set operational boundaries within the organization.

Preventive Actions

Preventive actions assess the likelyhood of potential nonconformitiesare occurring and dictates action steps to remove the posible causes.

Procedures

A procedure defines the work that should be done, and explains how it should be done, who should do it, and under what circumstances. These must be documented.

Product

A product is an output that results from a process. According to ISO 9001:2000 a service is also referred to as "Product".

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance (Q.A.) is defined as processes implemented which demonstrates the commitment of the organisations to meet all quality requirements. Q.A. activities are intended to inspire confidence.

Quality Control

Quality control refers to the activities whose functoin is to ensure that all quality requirements are being met. Typical examples are inspecting, testing and performance assessment.

Quality Facilitator

Internal workshop facilitators competent to present quality awareness training to all levels with the organisation.

Quality Management

This refers to all the top management's activities that ensures compliance with their quality policy. These activities include quality planning, setting objectives, measurement, analysis and improvement.

Quality Management Representative

Internal representative of top management with authority and responsibility to plan, implement and maintain the quality management system.

Quality Manual

A quality manual documents an organization's Quality Management System. It should contain or at least refer to the quality management system procedures.

Quality Plan

A quality plan explains how you intend to measure business activities in order to acieve your quality objectives and meet requirements.

Quality Planning

Quality planning refers to the processes of mapping out future activities required to meet requirements. This can include writing policy, setting objectives, identifying requirements and defining the way that these will be achieved.

Record

A record is a document that contains objective evidence that describes the actual results ahieved or activities performed.

Resources

Resources include people, money, information, knowledge, skill, energy, facilities, machines, tools, equipment, technologies, and techniques.

Supplier

A supplier is an organization that provides products or services to your organisation. A supplier could also be an internal department or business unit.

Supplier Upliftment Programme™

A 15 module programme of workshops, tasks and on-site consulting that assists SMME's in South Africa to afordably implement an ISO 9001:2000 compliant quality management system using our easy, step-by-step process. This programme is unique to Quality Engineered Systems. [ Read More ]

Work Environment

The term work environment refers to all the factors that influence the ability of the organisation to perform work such as social, cultural, psychological, physical, and environmental conditions.