ISO 9001 Process Approach: Understanding Inputs, Outputs and KPIs
The process approach is the backbone of ISO 9001:2015 and the defining characteristic of a mature Quality Management System (QMS). Instead of managing your business through departmental silos or arbitrary functional boundaries, the process approach treats your organisation as a system of interconnected processes, each with defined inputs, outputs, resources, and performance indicators. Mastering this approach is essential for certification and for building a QMS that drives real improvement.
What Is the Process Approach?
The process approach is a management methodology that identifies, manages, and continually improves the interrelated processes that deliver value to customers. ISO 9001:2015, Clause 0.3, explicitly endorses the process approach for developing, implementing, and improving the effectiveness of a QMS. The approach encourages organisations to understand how processes connect, what each process needs to function, and how to measure process performance.
Under the process approach, you stop thinking in terms of departments and start thinking in terms of value streams. Sales is not just a department – it is a process that takes inquiries and leads as inputs, applies sales methodology and CRM tools, and produces orders and forecasts as outputs. This shift in thinking is what makes ISO 9001 powerful rather than bureaucratic.
| Traditional (Functional) Approach | Process Approach |
|---|---|
| Focus on departmental goals | Focus on end-to-end value delivery |
| Each function optimises independently | Processes are optimised across functions |
| Limited visibility of handovers | Clear input-output relationships defined |
| Metrics are vertical (by department) | Metrics are horizontal (by process) |
| Problems blamed on other departments | Problems analysed at process interfaces |
Process Mapping with SIPOC
SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers) is the most widely used tool for process mapping in ISO 9001 implementations. It provides a high-level view of a process that is simple enough to communicate to everyone yet comprehensive enough to identify the critical elements. A SIPOC is typically built during the planning phase and serves as the foundation for more detailed process documentation.
