ISO Quality Kit

Objective of ISO 9001 Quality Management System

2011-06-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

The objective of ISO standard certificate is to promote the development of standardization and related activities with a view to facilitate the international exchange of goods and services, and to develop corporation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity. Work of the ISO results in international agreements, which are published as international standards.

Why ISO?

ISO is well established in many diverse fields and will continue to grow for the following reasons:

Worldwide progress in trade liberalization
Interdependence of sectors
Worldwide growth of communication systems
Need of global standards in emerging technologies
Standardization of economic policy for achieving sustainable growth.

Who Can Go For ISO

ISO can be granted to any organization regardless of what it does, its size, or whether it’s in the private, or public sector. It is applicable across an entire gamut of industrial sectors ranging from manufacturing, service and academic organizations.

Is Certification Expensive For Small Organizations?

Bureau of Indian Standards always gives the small-scale industries a discounted fee structure to encourage them to take up certification. Similarly, most of the other certifying bodies also help the small companies, in this regard. The Government of India also gives a subsidy to the tune of Rs. 75,000/- to small-scale industries.

Benefits:

The client favors the ISO certified company
Development of streamlined and well defined procedures
Clarity about processes and objectives in the organization
Improved predictability and reliability
Increased efficiency
Confidence in operations
Better realization of client and industry expectations
Focus on continual improvement for every process
Quality manual becomes an important marketing support document not only for new projects but also for image enhancement
Easy monitoring of internal work
System based working - easier and faster training of new employees.

Will ISO: 9000 System Increase Documentation?

Previous version of ISO: 9000 (1994) emphasize on documents and document control. But as per new standard the extent of documentation can differ from company to company in a simplified manner.

ISO: 9000 quality management system requires records at relevant stages, which provide data for continual improvement and can be used for legacy as a data bank.

Is ISO: 9000 Certification Applicable For Product Quality?

ISO: 9000 is applicable for the management system only and not for product quality. Implementation of ISO: 9000 quality management system assures product quality instead of ensuring product quality.

Procedure For Getting ISO 9000 Certification

Framing quality policy and quality objectives.
Preparation of quality manual and process procedures in line with ISO 9001 document requirements.
Awareness training program for all staffs shall be arranged.
Internal quality auditors shall be trained.
Internal quality auditing shall be conducted.
Management review of quality management system.
Co-ordination with certification body.
Certification auditing.
ISO: 9000 certification.
Periodical auditing every six months by certification body.

Why Does ISO-9000 Implementation Fail?

Over emphasis on documentation
Poorly designed system
Inexperience of the personnel
Insufficient top management commitment
Prohibitive cost factors

How Does ISO 9000 System Improve the Performance of A Company?

ISO 9000 system identifies the important processes.
The current status of the performance of the process is measured.
A target is fixed for improvement (quality objective).
An action plan is prepared and implemented.
The improvement is measured and enhanced.
The improvement cycle is checked for its effectiveness through internal auditing and management review.
After achieving the target, new target is fixed.

Read other latest post about ISO 14001 - Environment Management System.
Source: ISOqualitykit.com

Overview of ISO 14000 Standards

2011-05-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

ISO 14000 series is voluntary and based on international consensus as 65 countries are participating in the standards development process. The ISO 14001standards are generic, i.e. applicable to both manufacturing and service organization, in public and private sectors. They say what should be done by an organization to manage the impact on the environment of its activities, but do not dictate how to do it. Thus ISO 14001 EMS has impact on the issues listed below.

Following issues for Industry are considered

Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Water use
Other Resource Use
Hazardous Substances
Biological Hazards
Radiation
Waste
Noise
Community Concerns
Wildlife & Habitats
Accidents & emergencies
Planning Issues
Interface with other Health & Safety Issues

ISO 14000 series of standards can be classified as the specification standard and guidance standard. ISO 14001 is the only specification standard to which companies would be registered. All other standards mentioned in the Table-1 are guidance standards and so are not prescriptive.

The overall aim of this international standard is to support environmental protection and prevention of pollution in balance with socio - economic needs. However, it is not intended to be used to create non-tariff trade barriers or to increase or change an organization's legal obligations.

This international standard does not incorporate occupational health and safety management system elements. Nevertheless, the certification / registration process will only be applicable to aspects of the environmental management system. The company has to take ISO 14001 training and make targets related to environment issues for long run and achievement for the same. Also provisions for emergency so that environment is no where affected by the company. The elements of ISO 14000 are listed below.

ISO 14001 Environment Management System - EMS

The ISO 14001 Specification envisages 5 Core Elements for EMS, for the purpose of certification by third parties. These are:

1. Commitments and Policy
An organization should define its environmental policy and focus on what needs to be done for ensuring continual environmental performance. It should also ensure commitment to the policy.

2. Planning
An Organization should formulate a plan to fulfill its environmental policy.

3. Implementation
For effective implementation an Organization should develop the capabilities and support mechanisms necessary to achieve its environmental policy, objectives and targets.

4. Measurements and Evaluation
An organization should measure, monitor and evaluate its environmental performance.

5. Reviews and Improvement
An organization should review and continually improve its environmental management system, with the objective of improving its overall environmental performance.

Source: Globalmanagergroup.com
You can read my other post about Benefits of ISO 14001 EMS here.

The BRC Global Standards for Food Safety

2011-03-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

In 1998 the British Retail Consortium (BRC), responding to industry needs, developed and introduced the BRC Food Technical Standard to be used to evaluate manufacturers of retailers own brand food products. It is designed to be used as a pillar to help retailers and brand owners with their 'due diligence' defense, should they be subject to a prosecution by the enforcement authorities. Under EU food Law, retailers and brand owners have a legal responsibility for their brands.

The Global Standard for brc food safety was first developed in 1998 by the food service industry to enable their suppliers to be audited by third party Certification Bodies against a single consistent standard, reducing duplication of effort and enabling the food service industry to focus activities on areas of competitive advantage. Built on the principles of clear risk based requirements, informative report format and auditor competence, the
Standard has continued to develop and evolve with input from a wider base of international stakeholders including retailers, caterers, food manufacturers and Certification Bodies.

The Standard is closely managed by the BRC who license the use of the Standard to Certification Bodies who must be both accredited by their national Accreditation Body and abide by strict BRC requirements for auditor competency, reporting and performance.
In a short space of time, this Standard became invaluable to other organizations across the sector. It was and still is regarded as the benchmark for best practice in the food industry. This and its use outside the UK has seen it evolve into a Global Standard used not just to assess retailer suppliers, but as a framework upon which many companies have based their supplier assessment programmer and manufacture of some branded products.

The majority of UK, and many European and Global retailers, and brand owners will only consider business with suppliers who have gained certification to the appropriate BRC Global Standard.

Following the success and widespread acceptance of the Global Standard - Food, the BRC published the first issue of the Packaging Standard in 2002, followed by Consumer Products Standard in August 2003, and finally by the BRC Global Standard - Storage and Distribution in August 2006 . Each of these Standards is regularly reviewed and each standard is fully revised and updated at least every 3 years after extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.

New editions of the Food and Packaging Standard have been published, respectively titled Global Standard for Food Safety and Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials. Both the new BRC standards are differentiated by a number of innovations which have been developed in the course of extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. These include:

    o Clearer and more detailed requirements.

    o Greater focus on analysis of potential hazards.

    o New specially-designed training courses.

    o Increased emphasis on senior management demonstrating their commitment to the aim of achieving a satisfactory quality management system.

    o Optional unannounced audits have been introduced for companies gaining brc certification grade A or B

    o More guidance on implementing HACCP based on Codex Alimentarius principles

    o Greater emphasis on senior management demonstrating their commitment to the aim of achieving product quality and safety and to ensuring corrective action for non-conformities is undertaken

    o Expanded sections on issues of major importance, such as allergens and identity preserved materials, laboratory management, and physical and chemical contamination control

    o A more rigorous grading system for grades B, C and D has been introduced with a re-visit by the certification body required within 28 days to verify corrective actions for grade C as well as audit frequency reduced to 6 months

    o Revision of product categories that focus on product technologies that are now cross referenced with fields of audit pertinent to auditor requirements

    o A new section has been introduced on site security requiring controlled access and training of staff, secure storage of materials and registration and approval of premises.

You can read more about Reason to choose BRC certification.

For More information on BRC certification consultancy visit : Globalmanagergroup.com

Overview of BRC Standard

2011-02-26T03:18:00.000-08:00

Space-age technology designed to keep food safe in outer space may soon become standard here on Earth. The Food and Drug Administration has adopted a food safety program developed nearly 30 years ago for astronauts and is applying it to seafood and juice. The agency intends to eventually use it for much of the U.S. food supply. The program for the astronauts focuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applying science-based controls, from raw material to finished products. FDA's new system will do the same.

Traditionally, industry and regulators have depended on spot-checks of manufacturing conditions and random sampling of final products to ensure safe food. This approach, however, tends to be reactive, rather than preventive, and can be less efficient than the new system. The system is known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP (pronounced hassip). Many of its principles already are in place in the FDA-regulated low-acid canned food industry. FDA also established HACCP for the seafood industry in a final rule December 18, 1995 and for the juice industry in a final rule released January 19, 2001. The final rule for the juice industry will take effect on January 22, 2002 for large and medium businesses, January 21, 2003 for small businesses, and January 20, 2004 for very small businesses.

In 1998, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has established HACCP for meat and poultry processing plants, as well. Most of these establishments were required to start using HACCP by January 1999. Very small plants had until Jan. 25, 2000. (USDA regulates meat and poultry; FDA all other foods.)

HACCP has been endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (an international BRC food standard-setting organization), and the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. A number of U.S. food companies already use the system in their manufacturing processes, and it is in use in other countries, including Canada. British Retail Consortium

BRC Global Standards

As the "Voice of British Retailing", the British Retail Consortium (BRC) expresses the views of its members and keeps the press, parliamentarians, consumers and many other opinion formers informed about issues in the retail sector. We take a broad view of what issues are affecting retailers, inclusive of retail crime policy; environment, property and transport; regulatory and consumer affairs.

The BRC publish globally recognised Standards for best practice in product safety for Food, Packaging, Consumer Products, Storage & Distribution and Non-Genetically Modified Food. These Standards are the market leaders and provide a framework upon which many retailers, global brand owners and manufacturers use for their supplier assessment programme and due diligence defense support.
BRC Standards ensure best practice standards are developed, implemented and maintained.

Benefits of the BRC Global Standards

    o Comprehensive and focused on safety, legality and quality
    o Clear and detailed requirements based on HACCP principles supported by documented systems
    o Standardised reporting format providing information on how sites meet the requirements of the Standards
    o Closure of all non-conformities identified at an audit with evidence included in the report before Certificates can be issued
   o Complementary with existing quality management systems e.g. ISO and HACCP where these meet the requirements of the Standard
    o Focuses on identifying and preventing hazards from contaminating food
    o Is based on sound science
    o Permits more efficient and effective government oversight, primarily because the record keeping allows investigators to see how well a firm is complying with BRC for food safety laws over a period rather than how well it is doing on any given day
    o Places responsibility for ensuring food safety appropriately on the food manufacturer or distributor
    o Helps food companies compete more effectively in the world market
    o Reduces barriers to international trade.

Objectives of BRC

    - Equip individuals who have a general understanding of effective quality system and who have a background in quality or safety systems
    - Ensure a broad understanding of Hazard Analysis and its exact Relation with industrial legal and safety concerns.
    - Provide a framework for effective control of factory environment Standards, product, process and personnel

What does the standard require?
The standard contains a number of 'fundamental, requirements which must be well established, continuously maintained and monitored by the company. The requirements deemed as being fundamental are Haccp, the quality management system, internal audits, corrective actions, traceability, layout / product flow / segregation, housekeeping & hygiene, handling requirements for specific materials, control of operations and training.
Where a critical or major non conformance is raised against one of these requirements, this now leads to a full evaluation against the standard (i.e. another audit)

For more information about BRC Food Standard and Certification visit : Globalmanagergroup.com

ISO INTERNAL AUDITOR OBJECTIVES

2010-12-29T04:58:00.000-08:00

1. Collecting and Verifying Information

During the audit information relevant to the ISO audit objectives, scope and criteria, including information relating to interfaces between functions, activities and processes should be collected by appropriate sampling and should be verified. Only information that is verifiable may be audit evidence. Audit evidence should be recorded. The audit evidence is based on samples of the available information. There for there is a element of uncertainty in auditing and those acting upon the audit conclusions should be aware of this uncertainty.

The following figure provides an overview of the process, from collecting information to reaching audit conclusions:

2. AUDIT REPORTING

Team Meetings

At a daily meeting (or before the summery report is compiled) the auditors discuss their detailed observations with the audit team leader to determine if non – compliances exist and if applicable, are categorized.

When the audit team leader is satisfied with the evidence presented he / she in turn may discuss any non – compliance with the auditee’s representative to seek agreement that they exist. This is not to suggest a ‘bargaining’ situation, but one in witch the auditee is given an opportunity to discuss the non – compliance's and allow the production of any evidence to demonstrate that three is no deviation from the requirements.

Equally, the opportunity to discuss and recognize a non – compliance may enable the auditee to initiate corrective action.

In either event, the non – compliance is still recorded but the fact that corrective action has been taken it noted in the audit report.

It should be noted that non – compliance are owned by the auditee and not the auditor.

Non – Compliance Categorization

It is common practice to classify non – compliances into categories. This subject is dealt with in Section 12.

Categorization of non – compliances is normally decided through discussion between the team leader and the auditors rather than applying a category at the time of the incident. Categorization is not an end in itself but an aid to assist the team leader to assess the severity of the non – compliance and form a reasoned judgment on the auditee’s FSMS arrangements.

Non – Compliance

Reporting non – compliances is the method used to indicate to an organization during an audit that there is a deviation to the laid down FSMS requirement and the applicable legislative requirements.

A non – compliance is a non – fulfillment of specified requirements (GMP, SSOP, QMS, Quality, Environment).

Non – compliances arise from OBSERVATIONS made during an audit.

An observation is a statement of fact recorded on the checklist. The audit team will then review all of their observations to determine which of them are to be reported as non – compliances. The audit team shall ensure that non – compliances are documented in a clear, concise manner and are supported by objective evidence.

Non – Compliance Categorization

All non – compliances have to be dealt with regardless of how important an impact they may on the established system. It is common practice to categories non – compliances to enable the overall effectiveness of a QMS management system and the urgency of corrective action to be assessed.

There is no defined standard for categorization of NCR’s, so if categorization is to be applied the methods are required to be defined by the auditing organization and made clear to the auditee at the start of the audit.

Categorization of NCR should be based on deviation to the FSMS / legislation and impact on product / process and its risk. Observations need to support the grading with sufficient justification.

A typical classification is as follows:-

Critical

The absence or total breakdown of a FSMS to meet the requirements of ISO 22000 and the requirements of applicable regulations that impact QMS.

E.g. seriously inadequate hazard analysis, insufficient CCps are identified, no action responding to violation of critical limits, use unsafe water etc.

One critical NCR will lead to failure of certification. A re – audit is normally required within six months after initial audit.

Major

A non – compliance which is likely to result in the failure of the QMS system or reduce its ability to assure safety of processes or products.

E.g. improper control of chemical compound, shop workers are not very hygienic or there is no necessary action to prevent food from contamination etc.

If there is any major NCR, registration is recommended subject to a satisfactory verification visit. Verification visits will be arranged within eight weeks after the audit to verify effectiveness of corrective actions.

Minor

System deficiency (ies), which do not directly affect the QMS, but need to be improved.

E.g. environment of production areas is not in good condition, which may contaminate food, inadequate light in production areas or cleaning facility is not in a good condition etc.

When there are only minor NCRs and its number will not obstruct the system operation, registration can be recommended subject to a satisfactory review and verification of document evidence to corrective action. Document evidence, including self –declaration of corrective actions, is required to be submitted within four weeks after the audit.

A number of minor lapses of the same content (incorrect issue of documentation in use in several areas) show a system breakdown and may therefore be regarded as more serious and be upgraded.

It is normal with certification bodies that once a corrective action has been agreed that the check for practice effectiveness may be left until the next surveillance visit.

Categorization of non – compliances is normally decided through discussion with the lead auditor and the auditor rather than applying at the time of the incident.

Categorization is not an end in itself but an aid to assist the lead auditor to assess the severity of the non – compliance and form a reasoned judgment on the auditee’s QMS management system.

If the audit was undertaken for a ‘customer’ or a ‘third party’, then it may well be up to them to decide on the acceptances of any non – compliance. This may be influenced by any contractual or specification requirements. The lead auditor should be made aware of any such restriction.

Reporting Non – Conformities

During the audit, the auditor will be documenting observations of the system. These observations may well result in non – conformities being raised. When the auditor decides that there is a non – compliance, then a written report will be submitted. This type of report is commonly referred to as a NCR (Non – Compliance Report).

There should be sufficient detail in the report to clearly identify all the facts concerned, the specification requirement and the evidence of the non – compliance. It is important that sufficient information is provided to ensure traceability to the source of the problem in order that effective corrective action can be completed.

A quick guide is to examine and describe the:-

Where – the area where the non – compliance was found or can be identified.
When – date of audit.
What – description of the problem.
Why – a statement of the requirements from the specification or procedure.
Who – not the report must not attribute blame.

REMEMBER someone has to read the report. Clarity of information and the inclusion of as many facts as possible will assist the reader to understand your findings THE FIRST TIME.

The auditor must produce absolute proof that non – compliances exist.

A typical non – conformity report is attached.

3. Objective Evidence

Often members of the work force will give a rehearsed version of the controls being applied. It is there fore very important during and audit to establish that the facts investigated by the auditor and the observations made are a true and accurate reflection of the way in which the food system is applied.

4. Audit Report Observations

Statements NOT substantiated by objective evidence may be made as comments if the auditor thinks this will be useful or constructive.

These are usually observations noted during the ISO audit, which did not require non compliance to be raised since they do not contravene a standard or process, but could included in the audit report to assist the assessed organization with potential improvement.

The auditor should exercise care when making observation for improvements to ensure that the auditee understands that he / she is responsible for any decision taken.

5. Preparing the Summary Report

At the conclusion of the audit, the team leader (lead assessor) in consultation with the team auditors will prepare a summary report.

This report is normally hand written, while a formal typed copy is prepared later and subsequently submitted. An example of a suitable format is included at the end of this section.

As its title implies, the report summarizes the detailed reports of non – compliances and observations, notes any corrective action to be taken and, depending on the authority given, may allow the team leader to give a recommendation that the auditee’s FSMS arrangements are ACCEPTABLE, CONDITIONAL or unacceptable.

(Acceptability may be conditional on certain agreed corrective action being completed to the satisfaction of the team leader or customer, ie a CONDITIONAL recommendation).

The three levels of recommendation may be applied as follows:-

å Acceptable - award certificate or accept as an approved supplier.

å Conditional – includes statement of agreed corrective action to be completed prior to acceptance being granted.

å Unacceptable – failure due to a number of serious non – compliances.

A conditional recommendation report will indicate the corrective action required. The team leader may make recommendations as to the way in witch corrective action providing there is a clear understanding of the relationship between the two organizations in terms of any cost or liability that may arise from taking the required corrective action.

It is the 3^rd party certification body which makes the decision to award a certification, not the auditor. The auditor only makes a recommendation.

In the case of an audit by a certification body, the team leader will always make a recommendation against the relevant specification.

For 2^nd party audits it will be up to the purchaser to decide what action is taken following an audit based on the auditor’s recommendations and other commercial factors, ie price, delivery etc when placing a supplier on their approved supplier list.

6. The Closing Meting and Presenting the Summary Report

The summary report is formally presented at a closing Meeting attended by the audit team and the auditee’s management representatives. At this meeting the team leader shall:-

å Thank the management for their assistance and co – operation.

å Point out that only a sample of the FSMS arrangements has been taken and that the audit result has been determined against this sample.

å Propose that any questions for clarification of the report findings are kept until the end of the presentation.

å Present a summary of the findings and quantify the non – compliances raised.

å Invite each auditor to report their detailed findings and give a recommendation.

å Invite questions for clarification only and give answers

å Agree on any follow – up action which may be required, This may already have been agreed on non – compliance reports (NCR’s)

å Advise the auditee on the procedure for processing the final report (depending on the instructions given to the team leader), but in any case advise that fully written report will be raised.

å Agree the duration of any approval that may be granted.

å Make a statement regarding confidentiality of information.

Note:

The team leader may choose to present the whole report and only ask the auditors to deal with the questions relating to their area of audit.

Before departing the team leader will normally leave a copy of Summary Report and the original non – compliance reports.

7. Agreement and Follow – up of Corrective Action

Where the corrective action is required, the team leader may have agreed a date upon which a revisit to the auditee is to take place in order to verify that all non – compliances have been successfully corrected.

It may be that the nature and number of non – compliances require a further complete re – audit. If so, the team leader will state this at the closing meeting and in the final report.

Source: ISOQualityKit.Com
For More info about ISO Certification process visit Global Manager Group website

What Is CE Marking?

2010-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

The CE Mark is a mandatory European marking for certain product groups to indicate conformity with the essential heath and safety requirements set out in European Directives. The letters ‘CE’ are an abbreviation of Conformity Europeans, French for European conformity. The CE Marking of products as “passport” which can allow a Manufacturer to freely circulate their products within the European market place.
The CE Mark declares that your product complies with the Essential Requirements of the applicable EU Directives.

CE Marking

Applicable requirements are set forth in various European Directives that replace individual country safety standards. The Directives apply to products manufactured within but also exported to the European Union.
The CE Mark is placed on a product as the manufacturer’s visual identifier that the product meets the requirements of relevant European Directives. It is mandatory for a wide range of products sold within or exported to the European market.
To facilitate free trade and ensure the safety of certain products, European countries have developed a series of standards, or Directives as they are called. Compliance is mandatory. It is a legal obligation on the part of the manufacturer or his agent. Penalties for failing to get CE-Marking for a product can be severe.
If you wish to sell your products within the European Union member states and the European Economic Area, the product in question must comply with the Directive(s). This also applies if you are a manufacturer who wants to export products into the European Member countries.
The Directives replace individual country standards as they relate principally to the safety of these products.

What products do the Directives cover?
The Directives apply to a wide range of products. The most notable products that likely need CE-marking are:

    * pressure equipment
    * machinery of almost any description
    * electrical and electronic equipment
    * medical devices and equipment
    * personal protective equipment
    * equipment for use in potentially explosive environments

There are certain exclusions, but if you manufacture any of the above types of equipment or products then one or more of the Directives almost certainly apply.

EU Directives
Directives apply to 99% of all industrial and domestic products sold in Europe; it is the distinctive CE mark that signifies compliance with the applicable Directives. Without the CE mark and the correct documentation, manufacturers and importers are at an immediate disadvantage when competing against compliant competitors.

Complying with Directives
The requirements of the Directives are to ensure that manufacturers have identified and addressed all aspects of design and manufacturing that could impact safety and the safe operations of the equipment.

The actions required to become compliant with the Directives vary according to which Directive(s) apply and the type or classification of the equipment as defined by the Directive(s). However, there are some general steps you should follow:

   1. Determine which, if any, EU Directives apply to your product(s),
   2. Determine the extent to which your product already complies with the essential requirements of the Directives.
   3. Choose conformity assessment routes. Depending on the nature of the equipment or product, you may be able to implement and declare compliance and affix the CE mark without assistance or service from an external company.

A Notified Body is an independent body appointed by an agency within one of the European countries, usually governmental, as being capable of performing the duties of a Notified Body as defined by the Directives.

Source: ISOQualityKit.com

ISO: 9001-2008 Quality Manual (8 Chapters and 5 Annexure)

2010-10-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

ISO: 9001-2008 Quality Manual (8 Chapters and 5 Annexure)

ISO 9001 Helps In Improvement of Supply Chains

2010-06-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

Just what can purchasers reasonably expect from suppliers who put forward their company's ISO 9001 certification as an argument in favor of their products or services? ISO provides answers to this and related questions in an updated edition of its online brochure, ISO 9001 What does it mean in the supply chain?

The document is particularly aimed at purchasing managers of business enterprises and public sector officials responsible for procurement, but it will also be useful for organizations representing consumer interests as well as for consumers themselves.

ISO 9001 is implemented by organizations in more than 136 countries and has become the global benchmark for quality management systems (QMS). The standard is used as a framework for providing assurance about the supplier's ability to satisfy quality requirements and ISO 9001 certification is often a market requirement for suppliers to participate in supply chains or to bid for procurement contracts. It is also widely used as a marketing argument by companies selling goods or services to consumers.

For these reasons, the update of ISO 9001 What does it mean in the supply chain? is timely. It provides concise answers to common questions such as:

* What does conformity to ISO 9001 mean?
* How does ISO 9001 help you in selecting a supplier?
* How can purchasers be sure that the products they receive will meet their requirements?
* How can you have confidence that your supplier meets ISO 9001?
* Can suppliers claim that their goods or services meet ISO 9001?
* What can a customer do if things go wrong?

In addition, the document serves as a "mini-primer" to ISO 9001 because it includes brief, but essential, explanations of the standard, quality management systems and the options for claiming conformity with ISO 9001.

"The documents provides purchasers with the information needed to ensure that the ISO 9001 standard is used to its full potential in the business-to-business supply chain."

Source: Globalmanagergroup.com

Need Of ISO 14001 Documents

2010-02-09T02:19:00.000-08:00

ISO: 14001 are a generic document and it does not specify "how" to do, but only states "what" to do. As per the standard, the Environment Management System should be documented and be demonstrable in the manner consistent with the requirements of ISO 14001 models. The total demonstration in the Environment Management System consists of four tiers of documents.

1.Environment Manual
2.Procedure Manual
3.Work Instruction/Operating Procedure Manual
4.Forms, Records

The amount of documentation should support and efficient Environment assurance system without creating a paper bureaucracy. The details for documenting above four tiers of documents is described in this paper.

NEED FOR DOCUMENT CONTROL: -

The Environment System consists of a number of documents. Some system should be provided for safe keeping of complex records. It is important to clearly define as to where they should be kept and for how long, and who is responsible for them. Each written procedure should be checked and signed by an authorized person, with issue number and issue date. The management representative should have a list of all completed ISO procedures, applicable to the individual departmental activities. Against each listed document the number should be shown together with the date of the latest change. It is also called a "Master Copy". It is a yardstick against which any other controlled copy can be judged.

From time to time the Committee for Management Review and Corrective Action may put forward recommendations for change in the procedure. The Management Representative should be responsible for implementing the change. For making a change, the new page should be circulated to the keeper of the controlled copy of the document with an instruction to insert the new page in order and return the replaced page to the Management Representative. Thus outdated ISO documents will be removed from circulation. The change, which has been made, should be known to the staff and everyone should implement the new procedure. When a number of major changes have been made, a complete new manual has to be issued. The retention period for these records can be predefined either contractually or by the policy and it is to be mentioned in the Environment Manual.

ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

2010-02-05T03:04:00.000-08:00

ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System) - is a global standard for environmental management systems which provides the framework for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to environmental responsibility. ISO 14001 is a product of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 14001 is the world's first generic, internationally recognized standard for environmental management the goal of the SIO 14001 standard is to give the top management of any organization a framework for managing environmental impacts.

Compliance to ISO 14001 can provide the mechanism for an organization to more definitively establish itself as a genuine performer. It is a foundation to develop future environmental initiatives. The overall ideas is to establish an organized approach to systematically reduce the impact of the environmental aspects of an organization and for the generation of options for improvement are improvement are provided by the concept of cleaner production.

ISO 14000 series of standards are based on the following principles :-

An organization should focus on what needs to be done - it should ensure commitment to the EMS and define its policy.

An organization should formulate a plan to fulfill its environmental policy.

For effective implementation, an organization should develop the capabilities and support mechanisms necessary to achieve its environmental policy, objectives and targets.

An organization should measure, monitor and evaluate its environmental performance.

An organization should review and continually improve its environmental management system, with the objective of improving its overall environmental performance

Learn more about ISO 9001 certificate here.

Source: globalmanagergroup.com

Benefits Of ISO 27001:2005 ISMS Certificate

2010-01-29T05:25:00.000-08:00

ISO 27001:2005 (Information Security Management System). It is the standard, which specifies requirements for implementation, establishment, operation, monitoring, research, maintenance and improvement of documented Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It specifies requirements for establishment of a safety control, adapted according to needs of an organization. The organization declares the assurance of information security management system requirements by certification according to BS 7799-2 / ISO 27001:2005.

ISO 27001 specifies the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model for continual quality improvement. The PDCA cycle helps "the organization to know how far and how well it has progressed" and "influences the time and cost estimates to achieve compliance." ISMS as "a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information so that it remains secure. ISMS encompasses people, processes, and IT systems."
Information security is achieved by applying a suitable set of controls (policies, processes, procedures, organizational structures, and software and hardware functions).
ISO 27001 is suited to any organization that manages assets - data, people, software and intellectual property. This includes government departments (or their critical suppliers such as mailing houses, or data warehouses), energy providers and utilities, banks, insurance companies and corporate across all sectors of the economy.

Benefits of Information Security ISO 27001:2005

" A valuable framework for resolving security issues.
" Enhancement of client confidence & perception of your organization.
" Enhancement of business partners confidence & perception of your organization.
" Provides confidence that you have managed risk in your own security implementation.
" Enhancement of security awareness within an organization.
" Assists in the development of best practice.
" Can often be a deciding differentiators between competing organizations

Source: http://www.globalmanagergroup.com
You can find more about ISO Documents here.

Principle Of ISO 9001:2008

2010-01-21T01:49:00.000-08:00

ISO 9000 stands for International Organization of Standardization, created in 1947. It is a worldwide federation of “Member Bodies” with it's headquarter at Geneva, Switzerland. India is represented by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). ISO is important because of its systemic orientation. The assumption is that quality can only be created if workers are motivated and have the right attitude.

ISO 9001:2008 (QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) is widely recognized standard. This is a basic quality management system that can be implemented in industries of any type, any size, anywhere in the world. Registration to ISO 9001 Standard provides objective proof that a business has implemented an effective quality management system, and that it satisfies all of the requirements of the applicable standard. An external, impartial expert called a register or CB (Certification Body) conducts an on-site ISO audit to determine whether or not a company is in conformance to the standard. If they are found to be in conformance, they will be issued a certificate showing their address, scope of operations and the seals of the accreditation bodies that give the register its legitimacy.

The ISO 9001 standards are based on eight dynamic Quality Management System Principles.

• Customer Focus
• Leadership
• Involvement of People
• Process Approach
• System Approach
• Continual Improvement
• Factual Approach to Decision Making

Benefits of ISO 9001:2008

o Provides a systematic and visible approach for continual improvement in the performance.
o Edges over competitors who are not accredit.
o Increased customer confidence and international acceptance.
o Structure the operations of the organization to achieve desired results.
o Creates brand name of the organization.
o Helps to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization

You can read my business article here.

Health & Safety Management System (HSMS)

2010-01-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

OHSAS 18001

The Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) specification 18001 and the accompanying guideline OHSAS 18002 have been developed in response to urgent customer demand for a recognizable occupational health and safety management system standard against which their management systems can be assessed and certified.

OHSAS 18001 is also compatible with the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system and ISO 14001:2004 environmental management system standards, in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems by organization The specification takes a structured approach to OH&S management. The emphasis is placed on practices being pro-active and preventive by the identification of hazards and the evaluation and control of work related risks. OHSAS 18001 can be used by organization of all sizes regardless of the nature of their activities or location. Organizations can now achieve third party certification for their Occupational Health and Safety management system.

OHSAS 18001 features include the following elements:
• OH&S policy
• Planning
• Implementation and Operation
• Checking and corrective action
• Management Review

How To Addressing Translation Quality

2009-12-14T02:38:00.000-08:00

At this point you must be asking yourself that what about translation quality? Most critics of ISO 9001: 2000 certification within the language industry will generally respond, ISO does nothing for translation quality. The fact of the matter is that ISO 9001:2000 was never designed to ensure an objective level of quality in a specific deliverable be it a machine tool, an automobile, or a translated document. The standard has neither the ability, nor the intention to define quality in this way; rather it is a statement of organizational and managerial integrity; the focus of which is to deliver quality products and services according to the customer’s requirements.

Since language services are not required by all businesses in order for them to perform in their local markets, they are not perceived as vital services by most business owners. Financial services, insurance, office equipment and furniture, marketing, and advertising are usually considered vital to all businesses. As a service used only by companies either engaging in international sales or actively marketing to ethnic markets domestically, language service providers are not as well known in the U.S domestic market. Due to this fact and the increasingly technical nature of translation and localization work, there is a growing asymmetry in knowledge between LSP’s and their existing and potential customers. This disconnect between service buyers and sellers is strong justification for LSP’s to attain certification. Since, to this day, there is no single standard that addresses translation quality, ISO 9000 certification serves as the best alternative 5.

Of course, if you look at the results of a translation project, you can assess if the work looks complete, professional, and was delivered on time. However, you still have no way of assessing the linguistic quality of the work. To do so, you will need to rely on someone in your organization such as an overseas sales office, distributor or even your customers. This process, known as client review, is common and necessary, since most buyers of translation services are not comfortable assuming that their LSP can provide quality work.

However, anyone working inside an LSP will tell you that even if the distributor/customer does not provide positive feedback, it does not necessarily mean that the translation is of poor quality. Why? Well, its language is always preferential and subjective. There is no way to objectively measure the quality of translation in its abstract meaning. Even if there was, the reviewers would have to be trained in that assessment process, which likely will not happen, since review at best will be a secondary task for the chosen reviewer. He or she will likely have primary duties that generate revenue directly for your company. So, that brings us back to the definition of quality as perceived by the buyer. That’s where the integrity comes in: being able to work with the buyer to establish those ever-elusive quality criteria as the basis for reasonable and realistic quality requirements. Such collaboration takes time and effort on both sides, but mainly on the provider’s side. This type of partnership is impossible without commitment and integrity and requires robust and detailed processes for which ISO ce certification can provide a solid framework.

From the buyer’s perspective purchasing language services is a daunting task. Unless you have knowledge of the languages into which your service provider is translating, you do not have any direct way of assessing the quality of the translation work. If you think about it, virtually any other product or service you and your company purchase can be evaluated and experienced directly. Purchasing technical services, such as software development,- lends itself to direct assessment, even if you have no knowledge of programming, since the end result can be assessed for functional quality.

Source: translationdirectory.com/articles

You can find more about other ISO Services here.