New Year's Resolutions for Your Quality System
Posted by Cathy Wylie on
A New Year's resolution is a common tradition. A person resolves to change an undesired trait or behaviour, or resolves to accomplish a personal goal or make an improvement. The start of the New Year is a good time to make some resolutions for your quality system as well. Here are some suggestions for resolutions that may help you improve your quality system, reduce the stress of last minute work, and/or lighten your workload.
In 2018, I will ....
- Get started on updating my quality system to meet the requirements of the new standard. I want it done soon so I am not scrambling to meet the requirements right before my assessment. (I am also going to purchase the 2017 standard so I have in hand and am ready to go.)
- Schedule training for my staff on the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard. (Click here to get details on available training)
- Complete cross training on critical methods (before the next person goes on maternity leave, or announces their retirement).
- Improve communications with our customers so that we know when samples are arriving or dates are changed.
- Update our QC chart limits.
- Schedule our Internal Audits earlier this year so we don't run out of time.
- Train some new auditors so we build up our pool of experienced auditors (CALA can help train your auditors. Click here for Internal Auditor courses.)
- Train someone to do my job so that I can finally take a 2 week vacation to the Caribbean.
- Update the equipment maintenance logs.
- Remove obsolete documents from the laboratory (or mark them as obsolete if the document is being used as reference.)
- Have more staff participate in the proficiency testing programs.
- Review and update the laboratory's succession plan (or create a succession plan).
- Give staff the opportunity to learn something about other areas (e.g. read a journal, take a webinar.)
- Encourage people to learn more about their testing methods so they know why they are doing what they are doing.