The document discusses conducting a SWOT analysis and provides guidance on the proper process. It advises determining relevant factors, conducting external research beforehand, defining the scope and timeline, involving key people, and discussing the process with attendees. It also notes the analysis meeting should use tools like whiteboards and post-notes to generate documented outcomes and agreed upon actions. Maintaining and updating the results over a 3-5 year period is also recommended.
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Getting The Contex Right: Using Simple SWOT Analysis to Address ISO 9001: 2015 Standard
1. Getting the Context Right
SWOT
Welcome and Thanks for Attending
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2. Colin Gray & Cavendish Scott
Colin Gray
30 years auditing, training and
consulting.
IRCA, EG, PECB Lead Auditor
IRCA Lead Auditor instructor
and training designer
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Cavendish Scott, Inc.
ISO 9001:2015 consulting packages
Training, auditing and gap analysis
30+ Years Experience Guaranteed Success
IRCA ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor and Transition Training
4. ISO Requirement
4 Context of the organization
4.1 Understanding the organization and its context
The organization shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its
purpose and its strategic direction and that affect its ability to achieve the
intended result(s) of its quality management system.
The organization shall monitor and review information about these external and
internal issues.
NOTE 1 Issues can include positive and negative factors or conditions for
consideration.
NOTE 2 Understanding the external context can be facilitated by considering issues
arising from legal, technological, competitive, market, cultural, social and economic
environments, whether international, national, regional or local.
NOTE 3 Understanding the internal context can be facilitated by considering issues
related to values, culture, knowledge and performance of the organization.
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5. More Thoughts
Where is the requirement for a procedure?
Where is the requirement for a record?
How will it be demonstrated/audited?
WARNING: Huge interrelationships with other
requirements.
Purpose and Strategic Direction
Risk and Opportunity
Planning, Objectives
Change Management
Communication, People, Awareness, Interested Parties
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7. SWOT This Presentation
Strengths
Funny accent
Simple message
Weaknesses
Competing with the experts on at the same time
Can be complicated and confusing
Opportunities
Inform and educate
Get people to request me next year on their survey
Threats
Confuse people with too much detail
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8. Problems with that
We had no idea what we were supposed to be doing.
We were not sure of the perspective from which we
were doing it.
Still not 100% as to what a strength is, etc.
Not sure what to leave in and out or the level of detail
we were doing it to.
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9. Basics of SWOT
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10. The Process For SWOT
Determine, agree and document the categories or factors that will be used
to break down the four elements.
Conduct external research so that it is ready prior to the SWOT meeting
Define the Scope including the timeline or timelines to be used (1 year or 5
year horizon)
Define the People to be involved.
Clarify the purpose of the organization and the strategic direction
Ensure documented information about internal values, mission, goals, etc.
Discuss the and clarify the process for attendees.
Much of this can be completed in advance and provided to attendees before
the SWOT meeting
There will be documented tools
Agenda, roles, charter, rules, minutes template, records template, approach,
tools, steps, investigation and needed inputs, action items template
?
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11. The Process for SWOT
SWOT meeting whiteboard, post-notes, etc.
SWOT or TOWS,
PESTLEE, STEEPLE, ISO, Values, Mission, Vision
[internal]
Bring research and other information
Use the tools
Generate records and outcomes
Agree Action
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12. Final Thoughts
Forwards or backwards - SWOT or TOWS
Categories or Factors to help identify issues
Prior research and clearly documented information
Defined process with tools
Formal Actions
Maintenance of the results
Ensure the answers cover the future 3-5 years
Colin Gray
colin@cavendishscott.com
www.cavendishscott.com
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Editor's Notes
#2: Context is one of the most important requirements in the standard. It provides the environment for the planning of the whole system.
#3: Colin has been working in the industry for many years and focuses on value added solution and the precise interpretation of the standard.
#5:
Context starts with organizational purpose and strategic direction.
These should be discussed and documented before considering the context.
It is possible to consider purpose, strategy and context from a much broader business perspective. However, the standard requires it only address quality and this is a good place to start. If an organization feels comfortable extending their focus later then that is fine later.
Note that the process here goes beyond identifying the context. Organizations are required to monitor issues which means the data must be maintained. Typically there are two elements to this. The issues should be reviewed periodically (often annually) in case something happened that would change things but was not noticed. Also, whenever there is a known planned (or unplanned) change then consideration should be given to whether issues are impacted. These elements must be formally included in the process.
#6: Like all requirements there needs to be a formal process to address this section. And like all processes there should be a procedure (or equivalent) and appropriate controls and tools to ensure it is followed.
The process must be designed to provide a valuable benefit to the organization, BUT it should also generate records so that it can be used (e.g. action items) but also such that the process and its effectiveness can be demonstrated to an external auditor.
Note the potential complexity here. Change management needs to interact with Issues. Interested parties change, could affect issues (and vice versa). Processes change could affect issues. Issues change, risks and opportunities change. There is substantial interaction throughout the organization.
#9: The previous quick SWOT was not effective beach we did not determine a clear perspective. From whose perspective were we doing this. The presenter? The attendees? The Conference organizers? The answers will be different.
Definitions of SWOT were not formally established and so confusion could exist over what is a strength and what is not, for instance
No clear understanding of the level of detail we could discuss threats that really dont manifest if we go to too much detail.
#10: Internal (SW) and External (OT)
Positive (SO) and Negative (WT)
Developed as a tool for business. In practice we are limiting it to quality, but the approach is valid.
Google it.
#11: Discuss and agree categories or factors to break down SWOT elements. Note that this will help shape research
Conduct research in advance so the SWOT meeting is more productive.
Define and Document the Scope. What are we going to cover. What time line? If we have a growth strategy, how much growth and when will it be over? What then?
We are discussing organizational strategy. We need top management
Clarify the purpose of the organization and the strategic direction make sure they are documented.
#12: In practice this is a meeting or brainstorming session. It can be multiple sessions and could be conducted without an actual meeting e.g. reports, comments, blogs, telephone discussions,
Ensure the process is clearly defined and all tools available to make it happen. No confusion.
Initial discussions and possibly internal/external interviews need to be conducted beforehand to enable the process to be defined and direction established. Flexibility must exist to allow change of direction, additional research, more interviews etc. if that is the outcome. It may not always be possible to predict everything that comes out of the meeting in advance and prepare.
SWOT can be applied forward or backwards TOWS. Some people advocate a reverse approach to change bias.
We break the organization into categories or elements that help us consider issues that are important. These categories or factors may lead us to further research and then may identify an issue that can be considered a strength, weakness, opportunity or threat.
There are many different options:
Functional departments. Sales, Design, Production, etc. and they we ask what are the strengths for that department. We can also use processes (so Document Control and Records Management will be factors to consider)
For external issues consider breaking into these categories/factors:
PESTLEE
Political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental, ethical
STEEPLE
Social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legal, ethical
These tend to be more applicable for the external issues Opportunities and Threats.
ISO defined some categories/factors in the notes to 4.1.
External issues: legal, technological, competitive, market, cultural, social and economic environments, whether international, national, regional or local.
Internal Issues context: values, culture, knowledge and performance of t
Also look to your own mission, vision and values.
e.g. Integrity, Ethical Behavior, Innovation, Productivity, etc.
While these can be used at categories and factors, they should also be considered to help identify relevant answers (strengtyhs/weaknesses) because they shape the organization.
Brainstorm issues
Agree additional research
Agree actions. Actions are important. Plan what you are going to do with this information does it feed to risk management, are there opportunities.
#13: Cavendish Scott has been working with ISO 9001:2015 since the DIS was released in the middle of 2014
We remain on the cutting edge of meaningful management systems while not overlooking the need for conformance to standards to achieve certification.
Cavendish Scott offers gap analysis audits to ISO 9001:2015, Project and Document planning solution for ISO 9001:2015, IRCA approved and public and customized Transition and Auditor training, and standardized and open consulting projects for ISO 9001:2015 as well as AS9100, ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 14001:2015.