Interested Parties: Who to involve when identifying business context?
Interested parties: Who needs to be involved when identifying the context of a business?
To understand what is required, we need to look at the particular clause in ISO 9001:2015, which is:
4.2: Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties
Due to their effect or potential effect on the organization’s ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, the organization shall determine:
a) the interested parties that are relevant to the quality management system;
b) the requirements of these interested parties that are relevant to the quality management system.
The organization shall monitor and review information about these interested parties and their relevant requirements.
So what or who is an interested party?
The accepted definition of this is: person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity.
So how does this relate to the context of a quality management system to ISO 9001:2015?
In this context, there are a number of persons or organizations that fall within this description, for example:
Detailed below is a table detailing potential interested parties and their relevant needs and expectations, which are listed alphabetically, rather than in a list of priority.
This list is not exhaustive, but indicative. However, the actual interested parties will vary due to the context of the organization and their activities.
Certification bodies
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
What are your Certification Bodies requirements, as if these change, can have an impact on your company, for example:
|
The company’s UKAS, or similar accredited Certification Body expects the comply to comply with the following:
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Competitors
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
Who are the company’s competitors?
|
The competitors expect to take business away from the company. Consequently, should understand this and have good business practices in place, so that that they are not adversely impacted by the competitors. |
Contractors
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
These are not only contractors working at your premises, but also contractors working on behalf of the company:
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Contractors expect the company to:
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Credit agencies and finance companies
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
What is your company’s credit rating? Has this been affected by any issue that might result in:
These could impact your cash flow and your profit and loss, particularly, if the cost of raising finance has increased. |
The bank / financial institutions expect the company to be able to honour any financial commitments that the company has in line with the applicable compliance requirements. |
Customers
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
The people who use your product directly affect your ability to satisfy their needs. You need to understand the needs, expectations, and requirements of these people, because how they will use your product or service determines how your products or services need to be created. These can be some of your most important interested parties. |
The customer expects the company to:
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Emergency services
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
The emergency services in the UK include:
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Depending on what the company’s operations are, the emergency services expect the company to take all reasonable precautions to protect the company from incidents in line with those operations. |
Employees
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
Even if your employees are not purchasers of your product or service, they will want to work in an environment that creates products and services that will meet the needs of your end customers. Nobody wants to create faulty products or services. |
Professional development, prompt payment health and safety, work/ life balance, employment security. |
Insurers
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
This covers a wide range of insurance requirements, for example:
|
The insurers expect the company to:
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Landlords
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
If you lease your premises, either directly with the Landlord or a Managing Agent, are there any compliance requirements that are placed upon your company, which may restrict your company’s activities.
|
Landlords expect to company to:
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Local Government
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
Are there any Local or Parish Council requirements that may have an impact on your company’s activities, for example:
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The Local or Parish Councils expect the company to;
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National Government
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
Changes to National Government that may have an impact on your company, for example:
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The National Government expects the company to:
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Neighbours and Local neighbourhood
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
What does the company’s neighbours do and what is going on in the local neighbourhood:
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Local neighbours expect the company to have:
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Non-Governmental Organizations
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
These include such bodies as:
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These organizations might identify what levels of performance and sustainability are expected by your ultimate customers. And, how the company is meeting these obligations, which may not be mandatory.
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Regulators
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
The main generalist regulators in the UK are the:
There are also industry specific regulators that may have an impact on the company’s operations, for example:
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The Regulators expect the company to comply with the scheme requirements, where applicable. |
Shareholders
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
The financial performance and profit of the company is directly affected by the costs of the products and / or services that are offered by the company. Consequently, any shareholders would be interested in how well the company and their quality management system performs. |
The shareholders would expect to see within the company;
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Suppliers
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
The service provided to the company by a supplier varies according to the company requirements. These are very important interested parties as requirements can vary, for example:
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Suppliers expect the company to do:
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Trade associations
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
There are a number of trade associations that operate within the UK. Each has their own particular membership requirements that companies who are members of these and as such would to comply with these as required. |
Trade associates expect the company to comply with any particular membership requirements. |
Trade Unions
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
A variety of Trade Unions exist that, where recognised, will place obligations on the company, with respect to:
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The applicable Trade Unions would expect the company to comply with:
The Trade Unions would also expect to have good working relationships with the company to ensure good working practices. |
Utility companies
OVERVIEW |
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS |
The main utility companies, for example:
They provide these services. However, by the company using their services, there are also a number of regulations that the company will have to comply with. |
The utility companies expect the company to:
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Understanding the level of risk each interested party poses to an organization helps the organization in classifying and addressing their needs.
Following on from this, some company’s use the identified interested parties as part of the quality / business risk to the company and determine the risks and opportunities that need to be addressed; for example; by undertaking some form of risk assessment, such as:
Interested Party |
Needs and expectations |
Risk |
Action |
Priority |
Customer |
The customer expects the company to deliver its products and / services on time and to the correct specification. |
High |
Ensure that systems / equipment are robust to maintain effective control of the company’s processes are able to satisfy the customers’ requirements. |
High |
Regulators |
The Regulators expect the company to conform to the applicable compliance requirements. |
High |
Ensure compliance obligations are maintained:
|
High |