Guidance

Structure and authority

The ISO Navigator™ database hyperlinks the ISO 9000:2005 principles and the ISO 9001:2008 requirements; and explains them in plain English with practical guidance.

This guidance has been superseded by ISO 9001:2015 Clause 5.3 Organizational Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities. If you want to see a comparison matrix that correlates the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 to the revised requirements of ISO 9001:2015, please click here to begin comparing.

Our range of ISO 9001:2015 quality manuals and integrated manual templates cover the requirements of ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, and offer an easy way to implement and document your organization's quality management system or integrated management system.

ISO 9001:2008: Management representative 5.5.2 (superseded)

By appointing the management representative, one person is clearly identified as being responsible for the day-to-day operations of the quality managemetn system. Those responsibilities should be reflected in that person’s job description.

The naming of the management representative provides a route for direct contact which allows top management, employees, regulatory agencies and the registrar to discuss any aspect of the quality management system. The management representative must have the authority and responsibility to:

  1. Establish quality management system processes
  2. Formally reporting key metrics/data to top management
  3. Promote customer requirements
  4. Under take data analysis
  5. Support the continual development of the QMS

Within small organizations, one person is likely to fulfill both the management representative and the QMS team positions. A large organization, however, would likely assign one person to each position.

To effectively implement or enhance a quality management system, your organization’s management representative must have the authority to implement and manage the system. However, the ultimate responsibility for the quality management system remains with top management.

Not all small or medium-sized organizations have the luxury of choosing among multiple candidates, but your choice of who will be the ‘champion’ of the quality management system is critical. The management representative should have the necessary authority, an understanding of the organization, and project management skills.

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Planning

ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
4.1 Organizational Context 4.1 Organizational Context 4.1 Organizational Context
4.2 Relevant Interested Parties 4.2 Relevant Interested Parties 4.2 Relevant Interested Parties
4.3 Management System Scope 4.3 Management System Scope 4.3 Management System Scope
4.4 QMS Processes 4.4 EMS Processes 4.4 OH&S Management System
 
ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
5.1 Leadership & Commitment 5.1 Leadership & Commitment 5.1 Leadership & Commitment
5.2 Quality Policy 5.2 Environmental Policy 5.2 OH&S Policy
5.3 Roles, Responsibilities/Authorities 5.3 Roles, Responsibilities/Authorities 5.3 Roles, Responsibilities/Authorities
    5.4 Consultation & Participation
 
ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
6.1.1 Address Risks & Opportunities 6.1.1 Address Risks & Opportunities 6.1.1 Address Risks & Opportunities
6.2.1 Quality Objectives 6.1.2 Environmental Aspects 6.1.2 Hazard Identifcation
6.2.2 Planning to Achieve Objectives 6.1.3 Compliance Obligations 6.1.3 Legal & Other Requirements
6.3 Planning for Change 6.1.4 Planning Action 6.1.4 Planning Action
  6.2.1 Environmental Objectives 6.2.1 OH&S Objectives
  6.2.2 Planning to Achieve Objectives 6.2.2 Planning to Achieve Objectives
 

Doing

ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
7.1.1 Resources - General
7.1 Resources 7.1 Resources
7.1.2 People 7.2 Competence 7.2 Competence
7.1.3 Infrastructure
7.3 Awareness 7.3 Awareness
7.1.4 Operational Environment 7.4.1 Communcation - General 7.4.1 Communcation - General
7.1.5 Monitoring & Measuring 7.4.2 Internal Communcation 7.4.2 Internal Communcation
7.1.6 Organizational Knowledge 7.4.3 External Communcation 7.4.3 External Communcation
7.2 Competence 7.5 Documented Information 7.5 Documented Information
7.3 Awareness    
7.4 Communcation    
7.5 Documented Information    
 
ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
8.1 Operational Planning & Control
8.1 Operational Planning & Control 8.1.1 General
8.2.1 Customer Communication 8.2 Emergency Preparedness 8.1.2 Eliminating Hazards
8.2.2 Determining Requirements
  8.1.3 Management of Change
8.2.3 Reviewing Requirements   8.1.4 Outsourcing
8.2.4 Changes in Requirements
  8.2 Emergency Preparedness
8.3.1 Design Development - General    
8.3.2 Design Development - Planning
   
8.3.3 Design Development - Inputs    
8.3.4 Design Development - Controls    
8.3.5 Design Development - Outputs    
8.3.6 Design Development - Changes    
8.4.1 External Processes - General    
8.4.2 Purchasing Controls    
8.4.3 Purchasing Information    
8.5.1 Production & Service Provision    
8.5.2 Identification & Traceability    
8.5.3 3rd Party Property    
8.5.4 Preservation    
8.5.5 Post-delivery Activities    
8.5.6 Control of Changes    
8.6 Release of Products & Services    
8.7 Nonconforming Outputs    
 

Checking

ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
9.1.1 Performance Evaluation 9.1.1 Performance Evaluation 9.1.1 Performance Evaluation
9.1.2 Customer Satisfaction 9.1.2 Evaluation of Compliance 9.1.2 Evaluation of Compliance
9.1.3 Analysis & Evaluation 9.2 Internal Audit 9.2 Internal Audit
9.2 Internal Audit 9.3 Management Review 9.3 Management Review
9.3 Management Review    
 

Acting

ISO 9001:2015 ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001:2018
10.1 Improvement - General 10.1 Improvement - General 10.1 Improvement - General
10.2 Nonconformity & Corrective Action 10.2 Nonconformity & Corrective Action 10.2 Incident, Nonconformity & Corrective Action
10.3 Continual Improvement 10.3 Continual Improvement 10.3 Continual Improvement