1. Management Policies or Processes (MP) - Policies or processes that set the mission, vision, and direction of the organization.
2. Support Processes (SP) - Processes that facilitate, monitor, control, and improve the Environmental Management System, but do not directly impact the product/service or the environment.
3. Core Processes (CP) - A set of processes defining and controlling all product/service realization activities that can directly impact the environment.

The figure below illustrates the model and the relationship of these components:

In turn, these three components are supported by:

4. Work Instructions (WI) -Specific or individual task level instructions that support the fulfillment of Core or Support Processes.
5. Forms/Records (F) - Standardized forms that, when completed, collect information that is retained as records. A form becomes a record when it is written on or completed. When forms contain enough task level instructions they can replace Work Instructions.

Starting down the wrong path can be detrimental to budgets, morale, efficacy of the EMS, and the certification timetable.

First, a Pro-Staffers LLC® Project Manager conducts a Documentation Review of your existing EMS. For this you are asked to provide your existing policies, procedures, and a master list of documents and records, if available. Then the Project Manager visits your location(s), interviews staff, research policies, and evaluate the existing business processes through the lens of ISO 14001. The result of this review is a detailed report that identifies where your current practices meet requirements and where "gaps" exist.

The outcome of the Gap Analysis can then be used to develop a draft Project Plan and a custom tailored of EMS.

As an option, the Project Manager can also conduct an Executive Briefing and Process Discovery Session. The Executive Briefing is targeted to your management team and key implementation project participants. The Project Director reviews the results of the Gap Analysis while conducting a clause-by-clause review of ISO 14001 requirements and their applicability to your business.

Finally, the Project Manager facilitates a Process Discovery Session to identify and rationalize your organization's Core and Support Processes.The output is a comprehensive set of processes (not procedures) that govern all activities of your organization. This set of processes is an input to project planning, scheduling, and resource allocation.

Objectives

Conclusion

The Gap Analysis serves as the foundation for Pro-Staffers LLC® and provides your organization with a true indication of the status of your EMS and its readiness for certification. This allows you to establish realistic budgets, time lines, and expectations. You will also have a firm understanding of how to proceed from where you are. The report is straightforward and easy to read. It focuses on specific areas of concern and overall impressions. As a result, you are able to get a clear understanding of how ISO 14001 must be applied to your organization's business system.

A critical success factor of any Environmental management systems (EMS) development initiative is commitment and support of top management. If your organization is new to the implementation of an ISO 14001 based EMS or if you want improve your existing EMS, management's understanding of the ISO 14001 requirements and intent is vital to assure efficient and effective implementation. Pro-Staffers LLC® developed this half-day Executive Overview to assure that your organization's leadership understands ISO 14001 requirements  including management's role and responsibility in the success of the implementation or improvement project.

Objectives

What You Will Learn

Who Should Attend

Format

The continual effectiveness and value of your environmental management system (EMS) must be maintained by consistent and effective monitoring. Internal Auditors are Management's eyes and ears for monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the EMS. Well-trained Internal Auditors are more likely to be the first to discover a system that has broken down, needs attention, or is improving. While known problem areas might be deliberately avoided during a regulatory, accreditation, customer, or certification audits, Internal Auditors are required to focus both on problem areas and on areas demonstrating improvement. The training and skills needed to do this well are vital. Trained and experienced Internal Auditors are a crucial part of the EMS.
This Internal Auditor Training workshop prepares a team to implement an effective process based internal auditing program. The workshop covers the audit process, auditing skills, and an in-depth study of ISO 14001 requirements. The workshop also teaches participants how to find objective evidence of non-conformances, areas of improvement, as well as best practices. In addition to the classroom training and exercises, participants put their newly developed skills into practice by conducting an actual internal audit under the mentorship of the Pinnacle instructor. Upon completion of the workshop, each participant will receive a Certificate of Completion to add to his or her credentials and personnel file.

Workshop Content

Who Should Attend

The industry standard for the minimum number of formally trained Internal Auditors is about 10% of your organization's total staff. Ideally this group of Internal Auditors should include individuals from every area, function, department, and level of your organization. This assures cross-functionality, objectivity, and adequate resources to maintain an effective internal auditing program.

Format

Internal Auditing is a crucial element of your ISO 14001 based environmental management system (EMS). Consistent and effective internal audits assure continual effectiveness, compliance, and improvement of your EMS. However, many companies that tackle this responsibility alone must overcome the following obstacles:

Internal Auditors are Management's eyes and ears for monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the EMS. Expert Internal Auditors are more likely to be the first to discover a system that has broken down, needs attention, or is improving. While known problem areas might be deliberately avoided during a regulatory, accreditation, customer, or certification audits, Internal Auditors are required to focus both on problem areas and on areas demonstrating improvement. The training and skills needed to do this well are vital. Trained and experienced Internal Auditors are a crucial part of the EMS.
Pro-Staffers LLC® Internal Auditing Service is for companies that wish to outsource or augment the resources needed to maintain and improve their ISO 14001 based EMS with Pro-Staffers LLC®'s experts. Given the level of change most organizations undergo and their already strained resources, Pro-Staffers LLC® serves as a valuable source of expert support without the time and investment needed to develop and maintain such resources internally. Pro-Staffers LLC® possesses the experience and expertise to deliver a custom-tailored Internal Auditing program. Pro-Staffers LLC®'s experience in implementation and certification of ISO 14001 based EMS adds great value to this difficult process - beyond simply maintaining certification.

Advantages

Description

The first step is for Pro-Staffers LLC® to achieve a thorough understanding of your organization and its ISO 14001 based EMS. For this you are asked to provide your complete EMS documentation package, as well as the latest Internal Audit and Management Review results. A Pro-Staffers LLC® expert then visits your facility(ies) for an on-site tour. Customization and set-up is completed when we jointly decide on topics such as:

Pro-Staffers LLC® serves as your internal audit team and performs your Internal Audits. The frequency and length of each internal audit depends on the size and complexity of your organization, as well as your organizational objectives and environmental aspects. However, two Internal Audits per year is a typical minimum.
To begin, Pro-Staffers LLC®'s expert prepares and provides an Internal Audit Plan well in advance of each Internal Audit. The Internal Audit Plan details the schedule of activities for each Internal Audit. This assures that your staff has ample notice and time to prepare. The Internal Audit Plan also assures that disruption to your staff's daily activities is minimized.
To conduct each Internal Audit, Pinnacle uses a customized checklist. The checklist assures a consistent assessment of compliance with ISO 14001. Any deviations (non-conformances), observations, and recommendations are detailed in a formal Internal Audit Report.
Pro-Staffers LLC® recommends that one or two of your Internal Auditors accompany and assist Pinnacle's expert during each Internal Audit. This allows for the skills of your Internal Auditors to be developed, improved, and/or maintained.

Deliverables

Maintaining and continually improving your ISO 14001 based environmental management system (EMS) requires a sustained focus and vision. Maintaining certification underscores this fact. Companies often loose momentum, focus, and commitment after achieving initial certification. The result is a scramble to prepare for Surveillance Audits, stress and anxiety during the Surveillance Audit, and an unplanned commitment of resources to deal with the aftermath.
The Pro-Staffers LLC®'s Certification Maintenance Program is for companies that wish to outsource or augment the resources needed to maintain and improve their ISO 14001 based EMS with Pro-Staffers LLC®'s experts. Given the level of change most organizations undergo and their already strained resources, this Pro-Staffers LLC® serves as a valuable source of expert support without the time and investment needed to develop and maintain such resource internally. Pro-Staffers LLC® has the experts and experience to deliver a custom-tailored program. Pro-Staffers LLC®'s experience in implementation and certification of ISO 14001 adds great value to this difficult process - beyond simply maintaining certification.

Advantages

Description

The first step is for Pro-Staffers LLC® to achieve a thorough understanding of your organization and its ISO 14001 based EMS. For this you are asked to provide your complete EMS documentation package, as well as the latest Internal Audit and Management Review results. A Pro-Staffers LLC® expert then visits your facility (ies) for an on-site tour. Customization and set-up is completed when we jointly decide on topics such as:

Internal Auditing is a crucial element of an ISO 14001 based EMS. Consistent and effective internal audits assure continual effectiveness, compliance, and improvement of your EMS. However, many companies that tackle this responsibility alone must overcome the following obstacles:

Pro-Staffers LLC® serves as your internal audit team and performs your Internal Audits. The frequency and length of each internal audit depends on the size and complexity of your organization, as well as your organizational objectives. However, two Internal Audits per year is a typical minimum.
To begin, Pro-Staffers LLC®'s expert prepares and provides an Internal Audit Plan well in advance of each Internal Audit. The Internal Audit Plan details the schedule of activities for each Internal Audit to assure that your staff has ample notice and time to prepare. The Internal Audit Plan also assures that disruption to your staff's daily activities is minimized.
To conduct each Internal Audit Pinnacle uses a customized checklist. The checklist assures a consistent assessment of compliance with ISO 14001. Any deviations (non-conformances), observations, and recommendations are detailed in a formal Internal Audit Report.
Pro-Staffers LLC® recommends that one or two of your Internal Auditors accompany and assist Pinnacle's expert during each Internal Audit. This allows for the skills of your Internal Auditors to be developed, improved, and/or maintained.
One of the Internal Audits is scheduled in advance of your registrar's Surveillance Audits. In addition to the thorough assessment of your EMS, this Internal Audit has the added objective of assuring that you are prepared for the Surveillance Audit. Pro-Staffers LLC® then mentors your staff through the development and closeout of all corrective, preventive, and improvement actions. Furthermore, to ensure that you are always prepared for your Surveillance Audit, this approach is a driver of continual improvement.

Pro-Staffers LLC® coordinates all activities related to the Surveillance Audit, including communication and scheduling with the registrar. Typically, Pro-Staffers LLC®'s expert arrives a day before the Surveillance Audit. With the Internal Audits completed and corrective, preventive, and improvement actions reviewed and implemented, Pro-Staffers LLC®'s expert helps facilitate a Management Review meeting to assure that it is performed properly before the Surveillance Audit. Pro-Staffers LLC®'s expert then facilitates the Surveillance Audit. Following the audit, Pro-Staffers LLC® expert mentors the development and closeout of corrective, preventive, and improvement actions in response to any non-conformances, observations, or suggestions noted by your registrar.

In addition to the above support activities, your staff has direct and unlimited telephone, e-mail, fax, and on-line meeting access to Pro-Staffers LLC®'s experts for the term of the Maintenance Program. This support will include:

Deliverables

Understanding ISO 14001 requirements and nuances can be difficult. It is important that your general staff understands the intent of ISO 14001, the corporate objectives of the implementation project, and how implementation will effect and involve all employees.

This two-hour course will provide employees with the information they need to understand ISO 14001 requirements its intent, and their role in the development and maintenance of an EMS that is specific to your company.

General staff awareness training focuses on summarizing environmental management system (EMS) implementation, gives an overview of the basic ISO 14001 requirements, describes the audit process, and prepares participants for the Registration Audit.

Course Content

1. What is ISO 14001? - Definitions and concepts

2. Document Structure

3. What will it take to get registered?

        A. What is audited?

        B. What are Management's Responsibilities?

        C. Employee Participation

4. Understanding ISO 14001: clause by clause

5. Preparing for the Audit

        A. Auditor questions

        B. Audit etiquette

        C. Do's and Don'ts

How your organization achieved certification to ISO 14001 is more important than who issued the certificate. Nevertheless, the reputation, recognition, and quality of your registrar are an indication of the quality of your environmental management system (EMS). A good analogy is a university diploma. One can earn a diploma at many accredited universities, but a diploma from Harvard, U of M, Yale, Stanford, or MIT says something about the quality of one's education.
There are hundreds of accredited registrars. Most vary in their reputation, recognition, and quality. Furthermore, most vary in style, support level, methodology, philosophy, and cost. To add to the confusion, individual auditors within each registrar vary greatly. The point is that not all registrars are equal and cost should not be the only deciding factor. Nevertheless, no organization should pay a dollar more than it has to for the type and level of registrar that it wants.

There are numerous factors that affect certification cost. These include:

Balancing and managing all of the variables and factors to select the right registrar at the best price is difficult.
Pinnacle Enterprise Group (Pinnacle) helps you establish a good long-term relationship with the right registrar. Pro-Staffers LLC®'s founder and staff work with countless registrars on a daily basis. We know and manage every variable and factor. Our expertise and experience help our clients reduce the cost of certification by 20%-30%.
Even if your organization is already certified to ISO 14001, contact Pro-Staffers LLC® to see if we can help you reduce your certification cost by 20%-30%.

Quality is the customer’s perception of how a good or service is fit for their purpose and how it satisfies stated and implicit specifications.

Quality in an organization is best achieved by Management creating a Quality Management System (QMS). A QMS is a formalized system that documents the company structure, management and employee responsibilities, and the procedures required to deliver a quality product or service. Four quality tools should be utilized when creating a QMS: Quality Manual, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), work instructions and supporting documentation as flowcharts and quality records. All four tools must be consistent, coherent and work together to increase the perceived value of the good or service.

Quality Management is effectively managing your company QMS to achieve maximum customer satisfaction at the lowest overall cost. Quality Management (QM) is a continuous process that requires inputs of time, effort and commitment from all company resources.
Eight QM principles form the foundation for effective quality management:

ISO or the International Organization for Standardization is a non-governmental organization that was established in 1947. ISO includes a network of 157 national standards bodies (as of 9/12/06) from the world’s leading industrial nations. One of the main goals of ISO is to develop worldwide standardization by promoting adoption of international quality standards. By doing so, barriers of trade are eliminated.

ISO has created 15,000 standards as of 8/16/05 in a variety of industries. Examples of standards ISO has created include the standardized codes for country names, currencies and languages, standardized format of worldwide telephone and banking cards, as well as sizes and colors of road signs, and automobile bumper heights.

ISO includes 3,000 technical working bodies (as of 9/12/06), in which some 50,000 experts from industry, labor, government, and standardization bodies in all parts of the world develop and revise standards. ISO has created standards for the automotive, manufacturing, mechanics, packaging, and health care fields amongst many others.

Standards can be broadly sub-divided into three categories, namely product, process, and management standards. The first refers to characteristics related to quality and safety for example. Process standards refer to the conditions under which products and services are to be produced, packaged or refined. Management system standards assist organization to manage their operations. They are often used to help create a framework that then allows the organization to consistently achieve the requirements that are set out in product and process standards.

What is the ISO Process Approach?

The ISO standards are structured around the Process Approach concept. Two of the eight quality management principles are key to understanding this principle:

Therefore, when company resources and activities are optimally organized, and managed as a system, the desired result is achieved more efficiently.
In order to effectively manage and improve your processes, use the Plan-Do-Check-Act or PDCA cycle as a guide. First, you Plan by defining your key processes and establishing quality standards for those processes. Next, you Do by implementing the plan. Thirdly, you Check by using measurements to assess compliance with your plan, and finally, you Act by continuously improving your product performance.

What are the Elements of a Quality Management System?
ISO standards are documented rules and guidelines for implementing a quality system into your company. Specific technical specifications and/or other specific criteria may also be included depending on the standard you select.
The ISO 9001 standard is a model of a quality system, describing the processes and resources required for registration of a company's quality system. This ISO System diagram shows the management system and processes that are part of the ISO quality management standard. A brief summary of the key requirements is detailed below.

Why Implement a Quality Management System?

Implementing QMS in your company is a management decision that requires consideration of your organization’s operations, strategy, staff and, most importantly, your customers.
ISO standards are now readily being applied by organizations in industries ranging from manufacturers and labs to auto suppliers and pharmaceuticals. In many instances, the choice to implement an ISO standard into a company is not only the result of a company seeking to improve quality, efficiency, and profitability, but also as a result of ISO implementation being:

For whatever reason your company decides to pursue or update its ISO certification, you need to consider the benefits and costs involved with this process.

ISO Benefits

ISO standards are a guide that can help transform your company’s quality system into an effective system that meets and exceeds customer expectations. Your company will start to realize these benefits as you implement and adhere to the quality standards, and you will see the internal and external benefits accrue over time.
Internally, processes will be aligned with customer expectations and company goals, therefore forming a more organized operating environment for your management and employees. Product and service quality will improve which decreases defects and waste. Process improvements will help to motivate employees and increase staff involvement. Products and services will be continually improved. All of these internal benefits will continually drive better financial results, hence creating more value for your business.
As for the external benefits, ISO certification shows your customers and suppliers worldwide that your company desires their confidence, satisfaction and continued business. Your company also has the opportunity to increase its competitive advantage, retain and build its customer list, and more easily respond to market opportunities around the world.

ISO Costs

Although the costs of implementation can be offset with increased sales, reduced defects and improved productivity throughout the organization, the investment of implementing and maintaining an ISO quality system needs to be considered.
Many factors should be considered when calculating your company’s ISO implementation costs. The time, effort and money your organization puts into ISO registration depends on the number of employees, locations, the ISO standard selected for registration and the current state of your quality system and processes. Typical costs include:

As with implementation of any new tool, the key to minimizing costs is to arm yourself with knowledge about the process, and then to design a sensible plan that has realistic objectives, adequate resources and a practical time schedule. Having a leader or consultant to guide you through the process and manage deadlines can also help you to control costs and achieve your goals more quickly. In addition, if you have multiple locations or departments, costs can be minimized by leveraging the information you learn and the resources you use as you move through the implementation and maintenance process.

Pro-Staffers LLC®’s specializes in the following ISO modules:

General : ISO 9001

ISO 9001 defines the rules and guidelines for implementing a quality management system into organizations of any size or description. The standard includes process-oriented quality management standards that have a continuous improvement element. Strong emphasis is given to customer satisfaction. ISO 9001 registered companies can give their customer important assurances about the quality of their product and/or service.
All requirements of this International Standard are applicable to all different types of organizations.

Environmental: ISO 14001

ISO 14001 defines Environmental Management best practices for global industries. The standard is structured like the ISO 9001 standard. ISO 14001 gives Management the tools to control environmental aspects, improve environmental performance and comply with regulatory standards. The standards apply uniformly to organizations of any size or description.

Automotive: ISO/TS 16949

ISO/TS 16949 defines global quality standards for the automotive supply chain. The main focus of these standards is on Customer Oriented Processes and how each key process relates to the company strategy.
Depending on your place in the automotive supply chain or the current standard to which you subscribe, ISO/TS 16949 compliance dates vary:

As more and more automotive OEM's require third party registration from their suppliers, choosing a consultant that can provide both training and consulting makes good business sense. It is necessary to implement efficient and effective processes to make your QMS understandable and achievable.

Calibration and testing labs: ISO 17025

ISO 17025 contains specific calibration and testing lab requirements in addition to the ISO 9001 quality standards. The central focus of these standards is on calculation of measurement uncertainty as well as assuring quality and repeatability of measurement results. ISO 17025 applies to independent and in-house labs.