The 2018 ISO 9000 conference was held from April 4th – 6th in Las Vegas, and attended by the CXC Business Analyst, Sandra Fitzpatrick and Quality Officer, Angela Lowe. The theme of the conference this year focused on the latest revision to the Quality Management standard, i.e. ISO 9001:2015, and featured presentations from various corporate leaders and consultants on numerous topics including Risk Management, Top Management Engagement, Audits, Effective Corrective Action and Building a Sustainable Quality Management system.
In this regard, the conference emphasized several key principles notably; the role that leadership of the organization must play in the implementation of the standards; the determination and document of all business processes, procedures and work instructions needed for the implementation and application of the QMS throughout the organization and the role of audits in determining the adherence to specified standards.
Presenters included persons who sit on the ISO Committee responsible for revising the standard as well as those who have begun implementing the new standard in their organization.
The CXC team was able to learn various tools and tips regarding the implementation of specific sections of the ISO 9001 standard, and network with fellow participants and exhibitors.
One of the highlights for the CXC duo was meeting the keynote speaker Captain Sully Sullenberger, the international hero who on 15 April 2009 guided a US Airways jetliner, to an emergency landing on the Hudson River after a bird strike knocked out both engines on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. His speech highlighted the importance of implementing and adhering to Quality Management principles and standards.