Clause 5.3 of the ISO 9001:2015 standard, titled "Organizational roles, responsibilities, and authorities," mandates that top management must ensure the organization's roles, responsibilities, and authorities are assigned, communicated, and understood. This is critical for the effective implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the quality management system (QMS). The proper implementation helps eliminate the following:
- I am not responsible for that
- No one's in charge of this
- Nobody understands what they are supposed to do
- I do a lot but have no authority
- The ball seems to get dropped a lot
- There are a lot of chiefs and no Indians.
Here's what this clause involves:
- Assignment of Roles, Responsibilities, and Authorities: Top management must clearly define and document who is responsible for what within the organization about the QMS. This includes who is responsible for ensuring that the QMS conforms to the requirements of ISO 9001, reporting on the performance of the QMS and opportunities for improvement (including to top management), and ensuring the promotion of customer focus throughout the organization.
- Communication and Understanding: It is not enough to merely assign these roles; the organization must also communicate these assignments throughout the organization. This ensures that everyone understands their specific responsibilities and authorities regarding quality management.
- Documented Information: While ISO 9001:2015 has reduced the emphasis on documented procedures, this clause implies the need for documented information to support the understanding and communication of roles, responsibilities, and authorities within the organization.
Clause 5.3 ensures clear leadership and accountability within the organization regarding the QMS. By clearly defining and communicating the roles, responsibilities, and authorities, organizations can ensure that their QMS is effectively and efficiently managed, with clear lines of accountability and decision-making that support the achievement of quality objectives and improvement of processes. This structure supports the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the QMS, contributing to enhanced customer satisfaction and organizational performance.
