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Can we reject the role of MR (Management Representative) in an Organization, as new ISO Standards are not particularly asking for the same?

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Question added by Muhammad Saif ud-din Qureshi , Freelance QHSE & other Management Systems Auditing, Compliance, Development, Training & Maintenance , Working as a Free Lancer
Date Posted: 2016/03/31
essam  darwich
by essam darwich , Developing Manager , Professional Leadership Academy for Training&Consulting

the new edition just change his name from MR to Leader.

Momina Wahab
by Momina Wahab , Project Manager , Tech Spiders

Hi Saif,

 

The updated ISO standards, based on Annex SL, do not require MR as they focus on placing leadership responsibility on the organization's top management and functional level responsibility on managers across the organization. Basically, one person being responsible for the implementation or effectiveness of the standard has been abandoned in favor of shared responsibility.  Usually Quality Assurance managers or Network Security managers serve as MRs for ISO 9001 & 27001 respectively. Their functional roles would still continue and they would (or their teams) still be the ones to carry out internal audits, but the responsibility of complying with the standard is with the functional managers across the organization.

 

Another way this could be structured is to have the Internal Audit department take up the internal audit responsibility for these standards and the former MRs and their team take up compliance responsibility, provided that the organization already has an internal audit department or  this change in structure is workable for the organization. 

 

Finally, the standard doesn't require an MR but it also doesn't require that the MR role be abolished. It however, does require that organization exhibit a balanced level of responsibility all along the hierarchy to ensure the standard is being complied with and continually improved. So if it suits your organization and functional heads can demonstrate the responsibility that is required of them from the standard while there's an MR present, then let the role stand. In fact during the transition from old to new standard, I would highly recommend having the MR or MR team (trained on the new standard), spearhead the transition to make it easier for the remaining organization to understand and adopt the new changes. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Ghulam Mustafa
by Ghulam Mustafa , Inventory Controller , Mahmoodgroup of Industries

It is depend on organization structure to implement the SOPS, but MR play the basic roll to implement the procedures and achievement of objectives.

raed awayes
by raed awayes , Quality Engineer , Arab Ship Management

MR role is not requested as per new ISO standard, but the change in the standard is big and it mainly focuses on porter's theory regarding business strategies and organizational context (Internal strength and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats)  using PESTEL analysis, Industry analysis and internal analysis then prioritizing risks and opportunities and process approach implementation and control, even though leadership is more involved now and delegation is less but as a final conclusion all such practices and how company activities will be assessed through functional levels must be lead by someone which in my opinion is the MR or just change the name if you'd prefer to, who will sit with the departments and address such issues and transfer the new knowledge....

 

Manuel Carniglia
by Manuel Carniglia , Consulting , Freelance

There multiplicity of universal norms standardized measurement of the quality of a specific product, such as ISO 9000, and such as "OHSAS and API" for Oil indusria in others, and these rules, at any given time are laws in the case of a lawsuit, or acts of accidents. But do not confuse the rules with business policies, which are endless because each company has its own policy management system.

Is healthy function of the leader, as the role of the management representative and is very important for the implementation of management systems in any organization on the rules in accordance with the requirements of quality of a product in question, such as ISO 9001, in an internal audit.

Muhammad Shahid
by Muhammad Shahid , QHSE Manager , AL FARAA GROUP UAE

The role of management representative is very important for the implementation of management systems in any organization. Now that new standards are not mandating this role does not mean that there can not be a management representative. Having said that I believe no organization will remove or abandon this position or role, instead certifications bodies will not insist more on this requirement. Normally this role is possessed by quality managers in most companies and still he will be the main resource for the continuation and implementation of the management systems. Therefore we must understand that new standards are not telling us to remove or reject this role.

Vinod Jetley
by Vinod Jetley , Assistant General Manager , State Bank of India

Good communication skills, strong decision-making abilities and good project leadership are important qualities for a management representative. Understanding the details of business operations is vital, as is the capacity to get along with and manage people. While specific duties of a management representative vary depending on the organization, when upper managers appoint you as their representative, they are entrusting you to fulfill the vision of the company and to enforce its regulations.

Supervisory Responsibilities

As a management representative, you oversee the functions of an office to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Supervisory responsibilities could involve delegating tasks, such as clerical duties, to various members of your staff. Assign tasks to everyone equally to avoid overloading some workers. In fulfilling your supervisory obligations, ensure that every employee understands his duties. Additionally, conduct an evaluation of your employees’ performance periodically.

Training New Staff

As a management representative, you will identify the need for more employees and participate in the recruitment of new staff members. After recruitment, you will train the new staff concerning the organization’s policies, equipment and procedures. Good orientation and training sessions for new employees help them adapt quickly to their new work environment. You also might train employees regarding ISO 9001 procedures, which is a quality-management system that outlines processes and policies that businesses undertake to meet the needs of their customers and stakeholders.

Management Liaison

Being a management representative makes you a liaison between your staff and the top management. You fulfill this role by scheduling meetings with the upper management to review subjects such as the performance of various members of the company or its financial health. Before the management review, consolidate all the relevant reports, develop the agenda for the meeting and coordinate the reporting of financial results, if necessary.

Oversee Internal Audits

Management representatives plan, arrange and undertake internal audits within their organizations. As a representative, you ensure that the audit exercise happens in line with the requirements of the ISO 9001 that relate to management review and internal audits. After a successful internal audit exercise, you invite external auditors from reputable assessment agencies, who are the final hurdle before your organization can acquire ISO 9001 certification. Furthermore, the process of conducting regular management reviews and internal audits falls squarely on you, and you should carry out this exercise on a schedule.

HASSAN AHMED
by HASSAN AHMED , Internal Auditor , TIE

In my opinion we can not reject the role of management representative he is one of them who are certifying the validity of the report in respect to CR or NCR

Tanveer Nishat
by Tanveer Nishat , Corporate QHSE Manager , DOOSAN

Although the role of management representative has disappeared from the standard there certainly won’t be a shortage of work to be done by individuals occupying the position. Work to raise organisational awareness of the forthcoming changes has to begin now and management representatives need to consider the implications of the proposed changes to their organisation. As the standard develops further, a plan of action will need to be drawn up to cover the migration from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015. After this comes implementation and at every stage the management representative is likely to be called on to play a central role. There will also be a requirement for management representatives to educate and support top management to discharge those duties which, in ISO 9001:2015, they can no longer delegate to third parties.

It's a matter of how your company deal, because we have differnet criteria in selecting of what we used the standard. Always state "which is which" so it's depend in your management style or system if you are going to use the role of MR or you can sideline that position.

Butt Irfan Mahmood
by Butt Irfan Mahmood , General Manager Operations/ Production , Sunman Group of Companies

No, we can not reject the rol MR as, he has to play an important role during implementation of ISO 9001 system. Interaction with the Buyers and Auditors and Internal auditing tasks must be peformed by MR.

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