Latest news on the update of ISO9001 is that we can expect to see the draft version of the new standard in Q2 2014, with the final draft a year later.  The suggestion is that the new standard will be officially released in 2015 but there's a lovely caveat which says that there may be slippage - my guess is that we will have the new standard to work from in 2016.  Time will tel

There is something incredibly energising about the site of crashing waves with the wave tops being blown by the wind. Even more so when you can see it from the warmth of the house! Another windy and snowy day beckons!

We are snuggled up listening to the wind howling around us! A day for watching waves and keeping warm!

For me there is nothing better than Easter breakfasts of Hot Cross Buns and as a child this was the only time we ever saw these delectable items.  Now they appear in the shop almost immediately Christmas is out of the way and we can eat them for weeks before Easter.  Whilst I have enjoyed them with a cup of coffee mid morning on a few occasions already this year, I shall particularly look forward to them next weekend as I reflect on all that Easter means.  With butter of course.

Working with a client yesterday on web design made me realise just how very important it is to consider what your message is and how your website can best convey this.

My client works in therapeutic situations with individuals and groups, and looking at a selection of backgrounds for the website really made us think about the effect colour and style has on the message.  Some were just so totally wrong for the soft skills which the site needed to showcase, and eventually we came to the conclusion that a 'less is more' approach was right.  Clean, clear, simple lines augmented by carefully selected visual images started to bring the site to life.

The next challenge is of course what pages the site should involve, and how these should be titled and we spent some time thinking about this realising just how important the heading is and the message it conveys.  Does it invite the reader/viewer to dip in or does it seem like a door you don't want to open?  Not much point in having the latter on a web site which is there to be your www face.

The order of the pages is another crucial decision and one which took us some juggling yesterday.  Items such as links and testimonials tend to naturally fall to the end of the list but should 'current projects' come before 'way of working' or after?  Another item to give careful consideration to and one which saw us juggling page orders with, I suspect, more juggling to be done.

Finally to the text and links on the pages . . . . and that's another story!

This afternoon I am working with a friend on website development (her website, not mine!).  Having created my own site earlier this year I am hoping that I can convince my friend to 'give it a go' and saver herself some money in the process.

I remain amazed at how easy I found it to put my site together but the true test will be whether I can convince Sally that it's going to be easy for her!  Time will tell.

Somehow today seems to have turned into an office day and I'm frantically catching up with invoicing, sorting out my accounts and making appointments.  The wet weather has dam

Last week I was working with a client looking at process auditing.  We were talking through the benefits of audit and it made me realise that since I started auditing in 1991 my approach to audit has changed so much.  Back then BS5750 ruled - 'say what you do, do what you say, write it down and hope the auditor can't disprove it' would be a good summary of the approach we took to management systems.  Auditors reviewed procedures and looked for noncompliance. 

Things have moved on so much since then.  BS5750 and it's ISO version came and went, and the standard which came in to replace them in 2000 (ISO9001:2000) moved us to a fundamentally different approach.  One where we looked at processes.  One where we considered inputs and outputs, resources and controls and their impact on the process.  One where we looked to see how processes worked together and how a systematic approach to management could help businesses improve.  Audit became a tool for improvement where the focus was identifying compliance and opportunities for improvement. 

Such a huge shift, and one which I welcome and applaud.  If you still think audit is about compliance and raising nonconformances get in touch and let us show you a better and brighter approach. 

Having a fab day with a client, mapping business processes. It is a real chance to consider the structure if their QMS and it's ongoing suitability for the busuness. Improvement in action!

Craving for a tuna sandwich today! Funny how you get a taste for something and I know I am going to be disappointed if Teaco havn't got this on offer today. Here's hoping!