Project: ISO 9001 implementation, medical device company

Project challenge: Policies are now updated and processes are documented. Senior Management has re-enforced the benefits of ISO 9001 compliance. Now you are ready to conduct a trial 'internal audit' to confirm compliance and resolve any significant gaps before hiring an external auditor to formally assess compliance and grant certification. However, employees do not feel comfortable with your auditing them or reporting any results to senior management. Employees are willing to discuss their job performance with their supervisors, and meet with external auditors, but they are NOT willing to contribute to any internal audits.

Project crisis: The above employee concerns continue. While you were introducing the ISO 9001 auditing and review activities, the unionized employees had authorized the union to call for a strike if management did not approve the union's "demands" for a new contract. The union is now in a legal strike position; and this morning, most employees walked off the job. Some of the picket signs read "ISO 9001 failure", and worse. Based on past incidences, this strike could last at least six weeks. Or may be six months.

From the 7 steps in the Crisis Management framework, to solve your project crisis, explain in detailed about 'Understand the Problem'....Things are happening...Now What?(Realize a problem exists) and Decide which plans and risk mitigation processes to invoke (Who, what, where, when, how, and why (if known) for the above project and share relevant references.