ISO 9001:2008, Clause 8.3 “Control of nonconforming product”

When one or more characteristics of a product fail to meet specified requirements, it is referred to as a nonconforming product. When a product deviates from specified product requirements, it fails to conform. Nonconforming products must be identified and controlled to prevent unintended use or delivery. Nonconforming product is defined as product that does not…

May Quality Newsletter

English below Noticias de Regulaciones en Dispositivos Medicos: EU publica EN ISO 13485:2012 La norma europea, EN ISO 13485:2012 Medical Devices – Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Regulatory Purposes, fue publicada después de su aprobación por la CEN el 24 de Enero de 2012. Esta norma reemplaza la EN ISO13485: 2003, aunque el texto global de la…

What are some best practices for Root Cause Analysis and Preventive Action?

Our recommendation in terms of effective corrective and preventive action plans is to be very systematic in every step…. 1) First of a all VERY good definition of the defect…. If not defined correctly the action plan will not be effective. 2) Define corrections and containment actions. Make sure everybody understands the difference between those…

Can the internal audit be performed by Internal QA Auditor without the need of a technical person for a process/activity audit?

You can certainly have an internal auditor auditing a process without need of technical support, BUT in some cases your auditors may need support of technical experts. See ISO 19011:2002 Guidelines for Quality Management System auditing 3.10 Definition of Technical Expert: person who provides specific knowledge or expertise to the audit team. We often see…

I’m creating a new supplier audit procedure, I’ve been asked to include service suppliers (sterilization) to be audited every 12 month, is this a reasonable request ?

Sterilization process is critical in the Medical Device industry…. I do not know what industry you are working in, but if you are selling sterilized products then the sterilization process is actually an outsourcing of your organization’s manufacturing. Now how often do you internally audit your own manufacturing process ? At least once per year……..

Is it mandatory for the Internal quality auditors to be certified by QMS certifying agency or in house training is good enough?

It is NOT mandatory. However, Section 6.2.2 requires the organization to a) Determine the necessary competence for personnel performing work affecting conformity to product requirements, b) Where applicable, provide training or take other actions to achieve the necessary competence, c) Evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken, d) Ensure that its personnel are aware of…