2006 © Copyright Ask Art Solutions 905-593-8867 Mississauga, Ontario
5.2 Customer Focus
Top management must ensure that:
ÞCustomer requirements are determined and met
ÞAim is to enhance customer satisfaction (also see clause 7.2.1 and 8.2.1)
Key Explanation Points and Tips:
ÞOrganizations depend on their customers. So it is important that customer relationships be effectively managed. Accordingly, you must understand current and future needs of customers; you must meet their requirements and strive to exceed their expectations.
ÞTo ensure this you must understand your customer’s specific needs and requirements in terms of products, price, delivery communication, service and support.
ÞYou must have an effective communication process between your customer and your organization, for discussion, review, timing, action and responsibility on the above issues.
ÞYou must have an effective process for communication and review of the above requirements to relevant personnel or departments within your own organization.
ÞIt is top management role to provide the leadership and commitment of time and resources to ensure this happens. Auditors will look for evidence of this.
ÞClause 7.2.1 gets further into the details of understanding and processing customer requirements. Clause 8.2.1 sets requirements for monitoring and measuring customer satisfaction.
ÞClause 5.2 provides the top management’s overall responsibility for customer relationship management (CRM), while clause 7.2.1 provides the front end and clause 8.2.1 provides the back end, of the underlying and detailed activities of CRM.
ÞYou will notice that the requirements of clause 5.2 - customer focus can be included the following processes - business planning; communications; sales and marketing; and customer satisfaction feedback; etc.
ÞClause 5.2 does not require a ‘documented’ procedure. However, you must identify and document (e.g. process map; process flow diagram; etc.) the processes listed in the paragraph above as part of your QMS (see clause 4.1).
You must also identify what specific documents may be needed for effective planning, operation and control of these processes (see clause 4.2.1d).
Examples of such documents may include - a documented procedure; business plan; statement of customer related policies and objectives; etc.
