Support Resources and Documentation for ISO 9001

ISO 9001 Clause 7 - Support

Clause 7 brings together the supporting elements that allow the quality management system to operate. The organisation must determine and provide the resources needed, make sure people are competent and aware, plan its communications, and control the documented information that the management system depends on. The clause splits into five sub-clauses, each covered in its own article below.

Sub-clauses of ISO 9001 Clause 7

Clause 7.1 - Resources requires the organisation to determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of the QMS, including people, infrastructure, environment, monitoring and measuring resources, and organisational knowledge.

Clause 7.2 - Competence requires the organisation to determine the necessary competence of people doing work that affects the performance of the QMS, make sure they are competent on the basis of education, training or experience, and retain documented information as evidence.

Clause 7.3 - Awareness requires people doing work under the organisation's control to be aware of the quality policy, their contribution to the QMS, and the implications of not conforming to its requirements.

Clause 7.4 - Communication requires the organisation to determine the internal and external communications relevant to the QMS, including what to communicate, when, with whom, how and who.

Clause 7.5 - Documented Information requires the organisation to maintain and control the documented information required by the standard and determined as necessary by the organisation for the effectiveness of the management system.