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QMS, EMS, Information Security, Services Management, and Six Sigma July 2007
In this Issue
  1. ISO 9001:2009 - Clause 8 Changes
  2. CMMI versus ISO 9001
  3. ISO 27006 for ISMS Certification Bodies
  4. IT to Deliver, Score, and Record Tests
  5. IIA Global Technology Audit Guides
  6. Class Schedule

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Welcome to the Whittington & Associates e-Newsletter! Visit and bookmark our web site.

Our newsletters provide guidance on ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, ISO/TS 16949, TL 9000, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 20000, ISO 22000, and related ISO standards, as well as, Six Sigma.

If you have any questions about the articles appearing in this issue, or you want to suggest topics for future issues, please let us know.


ISO 9001:2009 - Clause 8 Changes

In previous newsletters, I have reviewed the proposed changes for clauses 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the draft ISO 9001:2009 standard. This month, we'll look at the suggested changes for clause 8, Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement. Please note that only the new or changed sections are discussed below. Unaffected text has not been included.

8.2.1 Customer Satisfaction

As one of the measurements indicators of the performance of the quality management system, the organization shall monitor information relating to customer perception as to whether the organization has met customer requirements.

Monitoring customer satisfaction is viewed as more of an "indicator" of performance than the "measurement" of performance.

8.2.2 Internal Audit

A documented procedure shall be established to define the responsibilities and requirements for planning and conducting audits, establishing records and reporting results.

The responsibilities and requirements for planning and conducting audits, and for reporting results and maintaining records (see 4.2.4) shall be defined in a documented procedure.


The requirement above has been edited to emphasize the need for a documented procedure (by placing it first in the sentence). Also, "establishing records" has been moved ahead of "reporting results" in the list of topics to be defined in the procedure. Records are being captured throughout the audit and should be listed before the reporting of results. The reference to 4.2.4 for record control was moved to the new text below.

Records of the audit and its results shall be maintained (see 4.2.4).

The new text above highlights the need to maintain records of the audit and its results.

NOTE: See ISO 19011 ISO 10011-1, ISO 10011-2 and ISO 10011-3 for guidance.

The reference to the withdrawn ISO 10011, Guidelines for Auditing Quality Systems, has been replaced with a reference to ISO 19011, Guidelines for Quality and/or Environmental Management Systems Auditing.

8.2.3 Monitoring and Measurement of Processes

When planned results are not achieved, correction and corrective action shall be taken, as appropriate, to ensure conformity of the product.

Clause 8.2.3 requires applying suitable methods for monitoring and measuring processes to demonstrate their ability to achieve planned results. For some supporting processes, these results are only indirectly related to product conformity. Therefore, the reference to product conformity has been moved to the new Note below.

NOTE: When determining suitable methods, the organization should consider the type and extent of monitoring or measurement appropriate to each of its processes in relation to their impact on the conformity to product requirements and on the effectiveness of the quality management system.

What is a "suitable" method for monitoring and measuring processes? The Note above says to consider the type and extent of monitoring or measurement based on the impact of the process on product conformity and system effectiveness.

8.2.4 Monitoring and Measurement of Product

The organization shall monitor and measure the characteristics of the product to verify that product requirements have been met. This shall be carried out at appropriate stages of the product realization process in accordance with the planned arrangements (see 7.1). Evidence of conformity with the acceptance criteria shall be maintained.

The requirement to maintain evidence of conformity with acceptance criteria has been moved from the paragraph below to the paragraph above.

Evidence of conformity with the acceptance criteria shall be maintained. Records shall indicate the person(s) authorizing release of product for delivery to the customer (see 4.2.4).

The release of product release and service delivery to the customer shall not proceed until the planned arrangements (see 7.1) have been satisfactorily completed, unless otherwise approved by a relevant authority and, where applicable, by the customer.


The requirement above has been edited slightly and clarifies that the release of product and service delivery is to the customer.

NOTE: Evidence of conformity with acceptance criteria can be a record or as otherwise specified in the planned arrangements.

The Note above clarifies that evidence of conformity can be a record or as otherwise specified in the planned arrangements, e.g., test procedure. There must be proof that product test results indicate conformity with the acceptance criteria.

8.3 Control of Nonconforming Product

A documented procedure shall be established to define Tthe controls and related responsibilities and authorities for dealing with nonconforming product. shall be defined in a documented procedure.

The sentence above has been edited to begin with (instead of end with) the requirement for a documented procedure.

Where practicable, the organization shall deal with nonconforming product by one or more of the following ways:

The requirement now begins with "where practicable", meaning where feasible or possible, deal with nonconforming product in one or more of the four ways listed.

d) when nonconforming product is detected after delivery or use has started, by taking action appropriate to the effects, or potential effects, of the nonconformity

The new entry above in the list of ways to deal with nonconforming product is text that has been moved from the last sentence in clause 8.3 to become part of the list.

Records of the nature of nonconformities and any subsequent actions taken, including concessions obtained, shall be maintained (see 4.2.4).

The deleted text above wasn't actually deleted, it was just moved below the next sentence.

When nonconforming product is corrected it shall be subject to re-verification to demonstrate conformity to the requirements.

Records of the nature of nonconformities and any subsequent actions taken, including concessions obtained, shall be maintained (see 4.2.4).

When nonconforming product is detected after delivery or use has started, the organization shall take action appropriate to the effects, or potential effects, of the nonconformity.


This deleted text was moved to entry (d) in the list of ways to deal with nonconforming product.

8.5.2 Corrective Action

A documented procedure shall be established to define requirements for

f) reviewing the effectiveness of the corrective action taken.


I've heard people complain that only "reviewing" a corrective action isn't sufficient. You must instead verify that the action taken was effective in preventing recurrence of the detected nonconformity.

If these people had read the definition of "review" in the ISO 9000:2005 Fundamentals and Vocabulary, maybe they wouldn't be as concerned.

ISO 9000:2005, 3.8.7, states that a review is the activity undertaken to determine the suitability, adequacy, and "effectiveness" of the subject matter to achieve the established objectives.

So, the proposed clarification shouldn't be necessary, but if people are misinterpreting the word "review", then adding "effectiveness" should help avoid any confusion.

8.5.3 Preventive Action

A documented procedure shall be established to define requirements for

e) reviewing the effectiveness of the preventive action taken.


See the 8.5.2 explanation for the reason behind this 8.5.3 change. The additional 8.5.3 text should help clarify that the action taken must be effective in preventing the potential nonconformity.

CMMI versus ISO 9001

The 2Q07 issue of the TickIT software quality journal includes the final article of a three part series exploring the relationship between ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI in terms of the benefits gained by undertaking combined surveillance audits.

The first article explained that a good mapping between ISO 9001 and CMMI would be essential for the combined surveillance audits to work effectively. The first two articles developed this mapping from an ISO 9001 perspective, that is, would an organization with CMMI level 3 satisfy the requirements of ISO 9001.

In the final article, the mapping is examined from the perspective of CMMI, i.e., would an organization with ISO 9001 (and TickIT) satisfy the requirement of CMMI level 3.

The author concludes that an organization with CMMI level 3 would stand a reasonably good chance of satisfying the requirements of ISO 9001:2000. However, the converse would not be as easy to say. There is a greatly increased reliance on exactly how an organization implements the requirements of ISO 9001 which will bear on its ability to satisfy CMMI under a SCAMPI appraisal.

While the two models are very similar, the differences noted in the 2Q07 article may result from their origins and on what is perceived as their goals, or maybe at the way they aim to achieve their goals - that is, driven by customer satisfaction back into processes or driven by processes to give customer satisfaction.

However, there is some evidence to suggest that organizations with ISO 9001 experience find it somewhat easier to undertake a CMMI-based improvement program and associated appraisal. This probably has little to do with the mapping, but more to do with the cultural understanding of the need for documents, records, processes and procedures, management commitment, involvement, and reviews.

CMMI is very prescriptive and will invariably provide coverage of ISO 9001:2000 requirements; but ISO 9001 being very high-level and generic cannot be assured of covering all the specific requirements of CMMI.

You can see the full article and color-coded mapping at the TickIT web site. Click on Introduction to CMMI v1.2 to see our schedule of SEI-licensed classes in Springfield, VA.

ISO 27006 for ISMS Certification Bodies

The new standard, ISO 27006:2007 is titled, Information Technology - Security Techniques - Requirements for Bodies providing Audit and Certification of Information Security Management Systems.

ISO 27006 specifies requirements and provides guidance for bodies providing audit and certification of an information security management system (ISMS) beyond the requirements within ISO 17021 and ISO 27001. It is primarily intended to support the accreditation of certification bodies providing ISMS certification.

The requirements in ISO 27006 need to be demonstrated in terms of competence and reliability by any organization providing ISMS certification. The guidance in ISO 27006 provides additional interpretation of these requirements for ISMS certification bodies.

You can order ISO 27006:2007 at the ANSI e-Standards Store.

Click on one of the ISO 27001 Information Security course titles below to view its description and the class schedule.

ISO 27001 - Understanding an ISMS
ISO 27001 - ISMS Implementation
ISO 27001 - ISMS Internal Auditor
ISO 27001 - ISMS Lead Auditor

IT to Deliver, Score, and Record Tests

ISO 23988:2007, Information Technology - A Code of Practice for the Use of Information Technology (IT) in the Delivery of Assessments

Growth in the power and capabilities of Information Technology (IT) has led to its increasing use to deliver, score, and record responses of tests and assessments in a wide range of educational and other contexts.

Suitably used, IT delivery offers advantages of speed and efficiency, better feedback, and improvements in validity and reliability. However, its increased use has raised issues about the security and fairness of IT-delivered assessments, as well as, resulted in a wide range of practices.

ISO 23988 provides a means of showing that:

  • the delivery and scoring of an assessment are fair and do not disadvantage some groups of candidates, e.g., those who are not IT literate;
  • a summative assessment has been conducted under secure conditions and is the authentic work of the candidate; and
  • the validity of the assessment is not compromised by IT delivery.
In addition, ISO 23988 may help:
  • provide evidence of the security of the assessment (which can be presented to regulatory and funding organizations);
  • establish a consistent approach to the regulations for delivery (of benefit to assessment centers who deal with more than one assessment distributer); and
  • give an assurance of quality to purchasers of "off-the-shelf" assessment software.
ISO 23988 gives recommendations on the use of IT to deliver assessments and to record and score responses. Its scope is defined in terms of three dimensions: the types of assessment to which it applies, the stages of the assessment "life cycle" to which it applies, and its focus on specific IT aspects.

IIA Global Technology Audit Guides

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is producing a series of publications with guidance on information technology. Each guide is written in straightforward business language to address timely issues related to information technology management, control, or security.

Click on the links below to download the free GTA Guides in PDF format.

Guide 1: Information Technology Controls
This guide covers technology topics, issues, and audit concerns, as well as, issues surrounding management, security, control, assurance, and risk management.

Download Information Technology Controls (PDF, 2MB)

Guide 2: Change and Patch Management Controls: Critical for Organizational Success
This guide is about managing risks that are a growing concern to those involved in the governance process. Like information security, management of IT changes is a fundamental process that can cause damage to the entire enterprise and easily disrupt operations if it is not performed well. This enterprise-wide impact makes change management of interest to many audit committees and, as a result, to top management.

The objective of the guide is to convey how effective and efficient IT change and patch management contribute to organizational success. Because the role of an audit is to assess risks and provide assurance to the organization, auditors cannot ignore the potential impact that changes to information systems and other IT assets can have on business operations. More importantly, the guide gives readers the necessary knowledge to help them counsel their boards about change-management risks and controls and to help their organizations comply with constantly changing regulatory requirements.

Download Change and Patch Management Controls: Critical for Organizational Success (PDF, 1037KB)

Guide 3: Continuous Auditing: Implications for Assurance, Monitoring, and Risk Assessment
Organizations are continually exposed to significant errors, frauds, or inefficiencies that can lead to financial loss and increased levels of risk. An evolving regulatory environment, increased globalization of businesses, market pressure to improve operations, and rapidly changing business conditions are creating the need for more timely and ongoing assurance that controls are working effectively and risk is being mitigated. These demands have put increased pressure on chief audit executives and their staff.

Continuous auditing is a method used to automatically perform control and risk assessments on a more frequent basis. Technology is the key to enabling such an approach. Continuous auditing changes the audit paradigm from periodic reviews of a sample of transactions to ongoing audit testing of 100 percent of transactions. It becomes an integral part of modern auditing at many levels.

This guide focuses on helping chief audit executives to identify what must be done to make effective use of technology in support of continuous auditing and highlights areas that require further attention. It provides continuous audit guidance that will benefit the organization by significantly reducing instances of error and fraud, increasing operational efficiency, and improving bottom-line results through a combination of cost savings and a reduction in overpayments and revenue leakage.

Download Continuous Auditing: Implications for Assurance, Monitoring, and Risk Assessment (PDF, 956KB).

Guide 4: Management of IT Auditing
There is no question that IT is changing the nature of the internal audit functions. The risks companies face, the types of audits that should be performed, how to prioritize the audit universe, and how to deliver insightful findings are all issues with which chief audit executives must grapple. This guide is designed for chief audit executives and internal audit management personnel who are responsible for overseeing IT audits. Its purpose is to help sort through the strategic issues regarding planning, performing, and reporting on IT audits.

Download Management of IT Auditing (PDF, 377KB)

Guide 5: Managing and Auditing Privacy Risks
One of the many challenging and formidable risk management issues faced by organizations today is protecting the privacy of customers' and employees' personal information. The cost from privacy breaches is increasing every day. The organization's customers, suppliers, and business partners want assurances that the personal information collected from them is protected and used only for the purposes for which it was originally collected.

This guide is intended to provide the chief audit executive, internal auditors, and management with insight into privacy risks that the organization should address when it collects, uses, retains, or discloses personal information. The guide provides an overview of key privacy frameworks which help to understand the basic concepts and aid in finding the right sources for more guidance regarding expectations and what works well in a variety of environments. It also covers the details on how internal auditors complete privacy assessments.

Download Managing and Auditing Privacy Risks (PDF, 752KB)

Guide 6: Managing and Auditing IT Vulnerabilities
This guide was developed to help chief audit executives and internal auditors ask the right questions of IT security staff when assessing the effectiveness of their vulnerability management processes. The guide recommends specific management practices to help an organization achieve and sustain higher levels of effectiveness and efficiency and illustrates the differences between high- and low-performing vulnerability management efforts.

Download Managing and Auditing IT Vulnerabilities (PDF, 574KB)

Guide 7: IT Outsourcing
Information technology (IT) outsourcing has grown in popularity as an efficient, cost-effective, and expert solution designed to meet the demands of systems implementation, maintenance, security, and operations.

The benefits of IT outsourcing are accompanied with the need to manage the complexities, risks, and challenges that come with it. It is important that internal auditors understand the outsourcing context and help the organizations with a comprehensive review of its outsourcing operations and evaluation of its compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

This guide provides the chief audit executive, internal auditors, and management with information on the types of IT outsourcing activities, the IT outsourcing lifecycle, and how outsourcing activities should be managed by implementing well-defined plans that are supported by a company-wide risk, control, compliance, and governance framework.

Download IT Outsourcing (PDF, 1MB)

Class Schedule

ISO 9001:2000
Understanding ISO 9001:2000
Implementing ISO 9001:2000
Quality System Documentation
ISO 9001:2000 Internal Auditor
ISO 9001:2000 Lead Auditor

ISO 14001:2004
Understanding ISO 14001:2004
Implementing an EMS
ISO 14001:2004 Internal Auditor
ISO 14001:2004 Lead Auditor

ISO/TS 16949:2002
ISO/TS 16949:2002 Internal Auditor
ISO/TS 16949:2002 Lead Auditor
Understanding and Implementing ISO/TS 16949:2002

AS9100B:2004
AS9100 Internal Auditor
Implementing AS9100
AS9100 Lead Auditor

ISO 27001 / ISO 17799
ISO 27001 - Understanding an ISMS
ISO 27001 - ISMS Implementation
ISO 27001 - ISMS Internal Auditor
ISO 27001 - ISMS Lead Auditor

ISO 20000
Understanding ISO 20000
Implementing ISO 20000
ISO 20000 Internal Auditor

ISO 22000
Understanding ISO 22000
ISO 22000 Internal Auditor

ISO 13485:2003
Understanding ISO 13485:2003
ISO 13485:2003 Internal Auditor
Implementing ISO 13485:2003
ISO 9001 Lead Auditor - ISO 13485 Emphasis

Capability Maturity Model Integration
Introduction to CMMI v1.2

Six Sigma
Introduction to Statistics
Green Belt Certification
Black Belt Certification

Discounts
Enroll and pay for an Atlanta class 30 days in advance and receive a 10% discount. Students at previous Atlanta classes receive a 20% discount on future Atlanta classes.

Books
See our list of ISO 9001, Auditing, and Six Sigma books. Includes book descriptions and links to Amazon.

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