ISO

ISO 9000 Family of standards

It is a set of criteria thatcan be applied to all organizations regardless of type, size and product or serviceprovided.

When applied correctly these standards will help organizations develop thecapability to create and retain satised customers in a manner that satises all the otherstakeholders.
They are not product standards there are no requirements for specicproducts or services they contain criteria that apply to the management of an orga-nization in satisfying customer needs and expectations in a way that satises the needsand expectations of other stakeholders Although all ISO standards are voluntary, one of the standards in the ISO 9000 family hasbecome a market requirement, this standard is ISO 9001

A QUEST FOR CONFIDENCE

Customers need condence that their suppliers can meet their quality, cost and deliveryrequirements and have a choice as to how they acquire this condence. They can selecttheir suppliers: Purely on the basis of past performance, reputation or recommendation; By assessing the capability of potential suppliers themselves; On the basis of an assessment of capability performed by a third party

Most customers select their suppliers using option (a) or (b), but there will be caseswhere these options are not appropriate either because there is no evidence for usingoption (a) or resources are not available to use option (b) or it is not economic.

It is for these situations that a certication scheme was developed. Organizations submitto a third party audit that is performed by an accredited certication body inde-pendent of both customer and supplier. An audit is performed against the require-ments of ISO 9001 and if no nonconformities are found, a certicate is awarded.

Birth of these standards

The Assurance Principles The quest for condence through regulated standards evolved in the defence industry.Defence quality assurance standards were based on the followingprinciples: It is essential that products and services be designed, manufactured and provided soas to conform to the purchasers requirements and this be effected as economically aspracticable; The quality of products and services depends upon the contractors control of design,manufacture and other operations that affect quality; The contractor needs to institute such control over quality as is necessary to ensurethe products and services conform to the purchasers contractual requirements; Contractors need to be prepared to substantiate by objective evidence that they havemaintained control over the design, development and manufacturing operations andhave performed inspection which demonstrates the acceptability of products andservices; The purchaser needs to stipulate the assurance required to as certain that the contractor has control over the operations to be carried out and will ensure that the products andservices are properly produced and inspected

ISO 9000 Family

Why Use ISO 9000

Working for a company that does not have a formalized method of management creates a chaotic working environment Time, money, and work hours go into wasteful utilization ISO 9000 is a preventive measure so time,money and work hours arent wasted fixing those errors Provides a highly organized structure of operatio An extensive documentation of processes Clearly defined responsibilities Offers a competitive edge for companies Companies with ISO certification are preferredover ones that are not Sometimes is the main determinant for clients

Why Use ISO 9000

Clients may require that companies convert to ISO 9000or lose their business

Better to get certified before being forced to

Customer satisfaction

A more organized procedure adapts to last minute changes better

Confidence and trust is fostered with client

Good relationship built with client means increased business with referred customers as well as returning ones

Why Use ISO 9000

Employee confidence

Employees are happier when they know exactly what they should be doing and who to report to

Increased communication allows an employee to be fully informed at all times during a project As a result, employees are more efficient in their work

All previous points lead to one thing increased profits and knowing that a product of higher quality is being produced

Decide whether to do it or not There are many success stories of companies using ISO 9000 But this does not mean its guaranteed to boost profits.An assessment of whether ISO will benefit acompany is required before proceedingI.f a company decides to do it they need to commit to it

How to Use ISO 9000

Select a quality manager Find someone to be in charge of quality control He/she should have an unbiased view of quality and the ability to communicate problems to the chief executive

Set up the ISO 9000 group Traditionally a committee of all the managers from every department of the company grouped together to analyze processes, come up withbetter solutions and document them

How to use ISO 9000

Foster employee confidence

Very important to the success of ISO 9000 Staff needs to be motivated to accept ISO otherwise it wont work Executives should set example by being excited about it

Write a Quality Policy

A mission statement stating the companys commitment to the ISO standard and signed by the chief executive

Define employee responsibilities Responsibilities must be clearly defined andstated for each employee Employees that know exactly what they shouldbe doing reduces confusion and inefficiency

How to use ISO 9000

Create a manual

A manual needs to be compiled of all thecompanys processes and contain the bestpractices

Get audited

A companys procedures are checked and allows for refinement and correction of errors Competent auditing firm is required so all problems canbe worked out

Get certified

Find an internationally well-known and credible group tocertify the company Allowed to announce certification to clients after thisstep

How to use ISO 9000

Maintain certification

ISO is not a one shot deal, it is a continuousimprovement program Maintain quality systems and gauge clientsatisfaction Pursue continuous improvement and have anISO 9000 maintenance team Anticipate biyearly surveillance audits, there isthe possibility of losing certification

Quality Management Principles of ISO 9000

Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle Principle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Customer focus Leadership Involvement of people Process approach System approach to management Continual improvement Factual approach to decision making Mutually beneficial supplier relationships

Principle 1 Customer focus Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations. Principle 2 Leadership Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fullyinvolved in achieving the organizations objectives. Principle 3 Involvement of people People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organizations benefit. Principle 4 Process approach A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.

Principle 5 System approach to management Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organizations effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives. Principle 6 Continual improvement Continual improvement of the organizations overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.

Principle 7 Factual approach to decision making Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information

Principle 8 Mutually beneficial supplier relationships An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value

Derivatives of these standards

Standards addressing the specialized needs and circumstances of certain industries and applications also exist: Environment. The ISO 14000 series of international standards integrate environmental considerations into operations and product standards. The standards specify requirements for establishing an environmental policy, determining environmental impacts of products or services, planning environmental objectives, implementation of programs to meet objectives, corrective action and management review. Aerospace. AS9100, the international quality management standard for the aerospace industry, was released in November 1999. Automotive. There are three popular standards used in the automotive industry: QS-9000 is a quality management system developed by Daimler-Chrysler, Ford and General Motors for suppliers of production parts, materials and services to the automotive industry. ISO/TS 16949, developed by the International Automotive Task Force, aligns existing American, German, French and Italian automotive quality standards within the global automotive industry. ISO 14001 environmental standards are being applied by automotive suppliers as a requirement from Ford and General Motors. Statistics. Statistical standards provide methods for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data. ANSI/ASQ Z1.4-2008 establishes sampling plans and procedures for inspection by attributes. ANSI/ASQ Z1.9-2008establishes sampling plans and procedures for inspection by variables. Telecommunications. TL 9000 defines the telecommunications quality system requirements for the design, development, production, delivery, installation and maintenance of products and services in the telecommunications industry. It uses ISO 9000 as a foundation but goes a step further to include industry-specific requirements and metrics.