ISO 9000



Iso 9000 391
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ISO 9000 is a set of international standards of quality management that have become increasingly popular for large and small companies alike. "ISO is grounded on the 'conformance to specification' definition of quality, " wrote Francis Buttle in the International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management. "The standards specify how management operations shall be conducted. ISO 9000's purpose is to ensure that suppliers design, create, and deliver products and services which meet predetermined standards; in other words, its goal is to prevent non-conformity." Used by both manufacturing and service firms, ISO 9000 had been adopted by more than 100 nations as their national quality management/quality assurance standard by the end of 1997.

This quality standard was first introduced in 1987 by the International Organization for Standards (ISO) in hopes of establishing an international definition of the essential characteristics and language of a quality system for all businesses, irrespective of industry or geographic location. Initially, it was used almost exclusively by large companies, but by the mid-1990s, increasing numbers of small-and mid-sized companies had embraced ISO 9000 as well. In fact, small and moderate-sized companies account for much of the growth in ISO 9000 registration over the past several years. The total number of ISO 9000 registrations in the United States increased from a little more than 2, 200 in 1993 to more than 17, 000 in 1998; of those 17, 000 registrations, nearly 60 percent were held by companies with annual sales of $100 million or less.

The increased involvement of small and midsized firms in seeking ISO 9000 registration is generally attributed to several factors. Many small businesses have decided to seek ISO 9000 certification because of their corporate customers, who began to insist on it as a method of ensuring that their suppliers were paying adequate attention to quality. Other small business owners, meanwhile, have pursued ISO 9000 certification in order to increase their chances of securing new business or simply as a means of improving the quality of their processes. "The pressure for companies to become ISO 9000-certified is absolutely increasing and will continue to increase, " predicted one management consultant in an interview with Nation's Business. "The question many smaller companies have to ask is when, not if, they [will] get ISO 9000-registered."

ELEMENTS OF ISO 9000 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The standards of ISO 9000 detail 20 requirements for an organization's quality management system in the following areas:

MODELS OF ISO 9000

The ISO 9000 quality standards are broken down into three model sets—ISO 9001, ISO 9002, and ISO 9003. Each of these models, noted Industrial Management contributors Stanislav Karapetrovic, Divakar Rajamani, and Walter Willborn, "stipulate a number of requirements on which an organization's quality system can be assessed by an external party (registrar)" in accordance with the ISO's quality system audits standard. "A quality system, " they added, "involves organizational structure, processes, and documented procedures constituted towards achieving quality objectives."

Each of the three sets concentrates on a different quality area. ISO 9001 is the most wide-ranging, for it specifies the various operating requirements in such areas as product design and development, production, installation, and servicing. ISO 9002 is concerned with quality assurance at the production and installation stages. ISO 9003 covers testing and inspections. As Karapetrovic, Rajamani, and Willborn noted, "if the minimum requirements are met [for the above operating areas], a registrar accredited by a national accreditation institution issues a certificate of compliance and the organization's quality system becomes ISO 9001, 9002, or 9003 registered."

It is worth noting that certification is handed out for individual quality systems, not companies; this means that one company may hold more than one ISO 9000 registration. Moreover, Harvey R. Meyer pointed out in Nation's Business that "the standards do not certify the quality of a product or service. Rather, they attest that a company has fully documented its quality-control processes and consistently adheres to them. If that's done, quality products and services generally follow."

In addition to ISO 9000, two related quality standards emerged in American industries in the late 1990s. ISO 14000, also known as the Environmental Management Systems Standards, is intended to combine environmental management systems with the ISO 9000 quality system. The second system, QS9000 is an adaptation of ISO 9000 to meet the specific needs of the "big three" American automobile manufacturers—Ford, General Motors, and Daimler Chrysler. Both systems were expected to have a substantial impact on U.S. companies.

ADVANTAGES OF ISO 9000

The advantages associated with ISO 9000 certification are numerous, as both business analysts and business owners will attest. These benefits, which can impact nearly all corners of a company, range from increased stature to bottom-line operational savings. They include:

DISADVANTAGES OF ISO 9000

Despite the many advantages associated with ISO 9000, however, business owners and consultants caution companies to research the rigorous certification process before committing resources to it. Following is a list of potential hurdles for entrepreneurs to study before committing to an initiative to gain ISO 9000 certification:

SELECTING A LEADER FOR THE ISO 9000 REGISTRATION PROCESS

ISO 9000 experts and businesses that have gone through the rigorous process of certification agree that businesses that appoint someone to guide the process are much more likely to be able to undergo the process in a healthy, productive manner than are firms that have murky reporting relationships. Hiring an outside consultant is one option for businesses. "An ISO 9000 advisor could give you a rough sketch of the registration process and help you get started, " stated Nation's Business. "Or the consultant could counsel you through the entire process, writing the company's quality policy statement and even specific operating procedures." In addition, firms should hire an ISO-9000 registrar with a background in their industry, legitimacy with international customers, and knowledge of small business issues.

Some small firms choose to appoint an employee as their ISO 9000 representative rather than hire an outside consultant. Many companies have done this successfully, but small business owners should take great care in making this decision. "The ISO 9000 representative [should be] a person who encompasses a genuine and passionate commitment to quality and success, knowledge of processes and systems within the company, and power to influence employees at all levels, " wrote Karapetrovic, Rajamani, and Willborn. "He should be familiar with the standards. If this is not the case, there are ample training opportunities available to acquire sufficient expertise."

For more information on ISO 9000 registration, small business owners can contact several different organizations, including the American Society for Quality and American National Standards Institute.

FURTHER READING:

Buttle, Francis. "ISO 9000: Marketing Motivations and Benefits." International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management. July 1997.

Johnson, P.L. ISO 9000: Meeting the New International Standards. McGraw-Hill, 1993.

Kanji, G.K. "An Innovative Approach to Make ISO 9000 Standards More Effective." Total Quality Management. February 1998.

Karapetrovic, Stanislav, Divakar Rajamani, and Walter Willborn. "ISO 9000 for Small Business: Do It Yourself." Industrial Management. May-June 1997.

Meyer, Harvey R. "Small Firms Flock to Quality System." Nation's Business. March 1998.

Rabbit, J.T. The ISO 9000 Book: A Global Competitor's Guide to Compliance and Registration. Quality Resources, 1993.

Rayner, P., and L.J. Porter. "BS 5750/ISO 9000: The Experience of Small and Medium-Sized Firms." International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management. Vol. 8, no. 6, 1991.

Simmons, Bret L., and Margaret A. White. "The Relationship between ISO 9000 and Business Performance: Does Registration Really Matter?" Journal of Managerial Issues. Fall 1999.

Van der Wiele, Tom, et al. "ISO 9000 Series and Excellence Models: Fad to Fashion to Fit." Journal of General Management. Spring 2000.

Voehl, F., P. Jackson, and D. Ashton. ISO 9000: An Implementation Guide for Small to Mid-Sized Businesses. St. Lucie Press, 1994.

Wilson, L.A. "Eight-Step Process to Successful ISO 9000 Implementation: A Quality Management System Approach." Quality Progress. January 1996.

Wright, Richard B. "Why We Need ISO 9000." Industrial Distribution. January 1997.

SEE ALSO: Quality Control ; Total Quality Management



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