A great effort by UM staff to achieve ISO 9001 certification
In January, the University of Montpellier once again obtained ISO 9001 certification, with two new additions this year: the economics degree program and the registration department of the Faculty of Science. Although the audit took place in early November during a second lockdown, the UM management team and the quality assurance and internal audit department would like to thank the staff and departments for their exemplary commitment.
"We would really like to thank all the staff, directors, managers, and agents who contributed to the smooth running of the audit," insists Sylvie Narejos, head of the quality assurance and internal audit department. " All the staff worked hard to prepare for the audit and give the auditor the best possible welcome. When the organization is well managed, the rest is easier. " And yet the conditions were not ideal. Scheduled for November 2, just a few days after the announcement of the new lockdown, the audit put the UM's services to the test.
"The organization had to be overhauled in record time," explains the department head, " and the people being audited showed exceptional adaptability and commitment." Seventeen videoconferences were scheduled at short notice, "the DSIN provided us with technical support for the microphones and Zoom registrations, and everything went smoothly." It must be said that it was worth the effort, as ISO 9001 certification is one of the most internationally recognized quality standards. This standard attests to the University's commitment to continuous improvement, particularly in terms of support services and services provided to the community.
A process of continuous improvement
Launched in 2010, this initiative has already led to the certification of public procurement, continuing education services for the administrative management of trainees, doctoral student enrollment and graduation, and degree enrollment. It should be noted that, as part of this last activity, the enrollment department of the Faculty of Science has been certified, thus completing the certification of all the University's enrollment departments.
Training programs are also eligible for this certification, as is already the case for the bachelor's degree in political science, the master's degree in health engineering, the bachelor's and master's degrees in safety, environment,and quality, and the latest addition: the bachelor's degree in economics. "The certification process is also underway in the field of research. Today, the bioengineering and nanosciences laboratory of dentistry has obtained ISO 9001 certification for its public research activities, as well as the E-Cell France platform, which has had all of its activities certified this year. We will continue to make progress," explains Sylvie Narejos.
To qualify for this standard, numerous criteria are observed during these audits, including the robustness of the quality system, staff involvement, and commitment to a process of improvement, particularly through listening to users. "For the certification of enrollment centers, for example, we conducted a student satisfaction survey for which more than 4,500 questionnaires were collected. The student satisfaction rate for enrollment reached 86%." In the end, the audit revealed only one area for improvement and 28 strengths. This is something to be proud of and a good foundation on which to start the new year. "We will continue in the same direction, always serving the strategy of the institution and our users," concludes Sylvie Narejos. The next audit is scheduled for June 2021.