Rouages: "Committing to a quality approach requires a strong commitment from all players".

Sylvie Narejos is Head of the Continuous Improvement Department within the Steering Department. This month, as part of the " Rouages" video series produced by the University of Montpellier, she talks to us about the quality approach and the process deployed by her team to obtain the famous ISO 9001 certification.

Rouages takes you back to the heart of downtown, to the third floor of the Institute of Biology. We meet up with Sylvie Narejos, a well-known figure at the University, and with good reason: she has been working here for over 25 years. Initially working in the Continuing Education Department at UM1, she joined the Steering Department in 2010. "At the time, there was a strong desire to get to know the institution better and to commit resources to improving what could be improved," she explains.

ISO 9001 standard

Sylvie Narejos is head of the Quality and Internal Audit department, and currently supervises six staff in three offices: Quality, Sustainable Development and Internal Control. Our missions are quite numerous and diversified, so I'm going to focus more specifically today on the quality approach," she announces. We are, of course, involved in defining the establishment's quality policy in line with the strategic priorities of the multi-year contract. We are also deploying the quality approach to processes that will most often lead to ISO 9001 certification.

ISO 9001 certification. A 3-letter, 4-digit code synonymous with quality since it was first published by theInternational Organization for Standardization in 1987. " This standard is a commitment to continuous improvement. It applies to all areas of activity, in both the private and public sectors, and to all professions. It enhances user satisfaction, provides greater visibility and confidence for our partners, and improves working conditions for our employees ", explains the head of the department.

A multi-stage process

Sylvie Narejos and the Quality Office have devised a three-stage program for teams, departments and departments wishing to embark on this improvement process. "First of all, we need to take stock of current practices. To do this, we use documentary analysis, observation and, of course, discussions with the agents," she explains. On the basis of this inventory, they draw up a description sheet and a flow chart " which will give everyone an overall view of the process and highlight the contribution of each individual to the completion of activities".

In a second phase, the quality office will put in place the systems needed for continuous improvement to comply with the ISO 9001 standard: satisfaction surveys, indicators, risk analysis and internal audits make up the toolbox of the quality approach. " We carry out around 16 audits a year. They involve checking compliance with regulations, the standard and procedures. They have no direct impact on obtaining certification, but they do enable us to identify areas for improvement, and are therefore real levers for progress ", continues the head of the department.

Collective and personalized support

Following this work, the first improvement actions can be deployed. It takes an average of two years to obtain certification. Throughout this period, teams will benefit from collective support from the quality office. This consists of a 12-module training course on ISO 9001 and the tools available," explains Sylvie Narejos. Process pilots and managers can also benefit from individual, personalized support. Every two months, a quality newsflash is also sent out to inform all players of the deadlines to be met.

As mentioned above, ISO 9001 applies to all areas of activity, which means that Sylvie Narejos meets people with very different profiles in the course of her work. " That's one of the reasons why I still enjoy my job so much," she asserts. Pedagogy, benevolence, listening skills, a taste for teamwork, as well as rigor and the ability to synthesize, are all essential skills for the day-to-day practice of this profession, which is sanctioned each year by an external audit carried out by accredited organizations. " This audit always gives rise to a feedback session open to all process pilots and managers. It's a high point that recognizes the contribution of each individual and the strength of the team," she concludes.