1. Mxolisi Dlamini & Gugulethu Zwane
RISK BASED THINKING WITH EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AND SATISFATION – A new dawn of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Mxolisi Dlamini & Gugulethu Zwane
Rand Water
Indaba Auditorium
17 April 2019

2. Outline Background Introduction
Risk based thinking and customer engagement
Our Journey - SANS 17025:2018 standard
Conclusion
5. Questions and Answers I

3. Background Has just above 60 people in its employ
RWAS consist of four laboratories
Has just above 60 people in its employ
It services Rand Water and external customers
Lab monthly work load
Tests
Sample Bottles
Inorganic
68,400
2,600
Organic
8,500
1,200
Microbiology
9,500
3,300
Hydrobiology
6,000
On Site testing
10,299
***
ANALYTICAL SERVICES
102,699
8,300
1.2 mil - annual output
Approx. 400 p/d

4. Background Skill Business system (LIMS) Technology Laboratory
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

5. Introduction
The supply of drinking water for human consumption is guided world-wide by legislative requirements including water quality monitoring of selected variables.

6. Introduction
In SA, the constitution guarantees the right to sufficient water, and the Government is a custodian of all water resources.

7. Introduction
Through Water Services act 108 of 1997 the government recognizes the rights of access to basic water supply and basic sanitation necessary to ensure sufficient water and an environment not harmful to health or well-being
RISK FACTOR

8. Water Services authorities Water Services authorities
Introduction
In achieving the set mandates, water services authorities and, in some cases, in conjunction with water services providers ensures that the above mandate is attained.
Water Services authorities
i.e. Municipalities
Water Services authorities
eg. Water boards

9. Introduction
The provision of water services are regulated by SANS 241:2015 to ensure potable water quality (i.e. removal of harmful contaminants).

10. Introduction
Treatment works (WTW & WWTW) play a crucial role in removing harmful contaminants; whereas, laboratories generate all necessary water quality data and information related to contaminants of interest.

11. Introduction
Laboratory processes are regulated by ISO/IEC 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018 to ensure credibility and reliability of data produced.

12. Aim To share our experiences and journey in achieving compliance:
Revised ISO 17025:2017
Its risk approach & impact on customer engagement and satisfaction

13. RISK BASED THINKING ISO 9001:2015  ISO 17025:2017 (Alignment)
Risk is the effect of uncertainty on expected results
RISK – minor or catastrophic
Risks associated with reported laboratory data and results
Risk based thinking means considering all possible risks qualitatively and quantitatively on all processes and activities involved in generating laboratory data
Facilitates improvement and identification of new opportunities
PDCA cycle

14. ISO 2005 vs 2017 Revised ISO 17025:2005 to ISO 17025:2017
Two Requirements   Five requirements
Technical General
Management Structure
1 Resources Process (customers, decision rules etc..)
1 Management

15. Practical applications
OUR JOURNEY
Practical applications

16. July – August 2018 – Preparation
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
July – August 2018 – Preparation
Weekly progress meeting (Sectional)
Gap Anlysis

17. July – August 2018 – Preparation
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
July – August 2018 – Preparation
Weekly progress meeting (Sectional)
Gap Anlysis

18. Clause 4 - General requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 4 - General requirements
Impartiality and confidentiality

19. Clause - 5 Structural requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause - 5 Structural requirements
Laboratory is a legal entity and responsible for its activities
Specify responsibility, authority on roles and their interrelationships

20. Clause 6 - Resource requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 6 - Resource requirements
Personnel, Facility and Environment Conditions, Equipment

21. Clause 6 - Resource requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 6 - Resource requirements
Metrological Traceability

22. Clause 7 - Process requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 7 - Process requirements
Customer engagements - Handling & management of customer complaints

23. Clause 7 - Process requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 7 - Process requirements
Customer engagements - Acknowledgments of deviations

24. Clause 8 - Management systems requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 8 - Management systems requirements
Two options A & B

25. Clause 8 - Management systems requirements
ISO 17025:2017 or SANS 17025:2018
Our journey
Clause 8 - Management systems requirements
Two options A & B

26. DECISION RULE

27. No. 7. Process requirements – 7.1 Review of request and contracts
Clause customer requirements for compliance to the standard specifications “decision rules shall be clearly defined”
Note: RW is currently in an conceptual phase on how to model decision rules….
Decision rules are constructed around the acceptability or otherwise
Risk associated with reporting of results for compliance purposes to various standards or specifications.
Risk associated with making an incorrect decision regarding the acceptability or otherwise

28. SPEC
G-Band

29. Key points of note about ISO17025:2017
Emphasis on improving customer engagement and satisfaction
Its geared in reducing risks associated with the production of analytical data
Laboratory focus more on process improvement

30. CONCLUSION
The standards has provided a platform for rigorous engagement with customers and this has resulted in better understanding of their defined requirements thus giving more confidence on the results produced. Internally, this risk based approach has allowed us to prevent potential risks from surfacing.