The Real Benefits of a Quality Management System

A debate is currently running through segments of the manufacturing community regarding the value of ISO9000:2000 registration. For certain companies, such as those supplying the automotive industry, the value is clear. Customers demand certification, so payback can be measured in new sales or business retention. For others, ISO 9000 is misunderstood, misapplied and, therefore, ineffective in delivering real value to the user. Of course, a large gray area lies between. The simple fact is, unless ISO is applied when needed and in the correct and purposeful manner…you could waste your time and money. On the other hand, many companies have been highly successful in reaping the benefits of a Quality Management System meeting the requirements of the ISO quality standard. So, what are the keys to ISO success?

The Successful Approach to ISO Implementation

Your approach to ISO implementation will determine your success. It is critical to make sure that you wrap ISO around your company to make sure that ISO works for you, and not vice versa. Avoid making the mistake of trying to bend your company into a pretzel in an attempt to meet perceived requirements, which can actually cause you to be less efficient in the long run. The successful approach to ISO implementation is simple in concept: First, define the key business drivers that will insure that you are competitive and successful in your field. Then, optimize your processes to insure that you are lean, mean and efficient in supporting those business drivers. Finally, apply the ISO standard to your business to insure that you reap all of the benefits of the ISO quality standard as outlined below.

The Real Benefits of a Quality Management System
Meeting the Requirements of ISO 9001:2000

Whether your company is a manufacturing or service organization, if you implement a Quality Management System meeting both your company’s requirements and the requirements of ISO 9001:2000, you can be assured that your company will:

• Be in position to do business with CUSTOMERS and MARKETS requiring ISO certification or compliance
• Be CUSTOMER FOCUSED and continuously evaluate customer perceptions
• Have clearly DOCUMENTED and CONTROLLED business and manufacturing PROCESSES which will:
  • improve organizational effectiveness
  • optimize resources and reduce costs
  • produce higher first-pass yields and reduce customer returns
  • improve employee awareness
• CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE your business and manufacturing processes
• Take immediate CORRECTIVE ACTION to fix non-conformances
• Take appropriate PREVENTIVE ACTION to prevent non-conformances
• Continuously MONITOR and MEASURE your Quality Management System
• Make DECISIONS BASED ON FACTS
• Create and maintain beneficial SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS
• Be able to demonstrate top management LEADERSHIP and involvement
• INVOLVE EMPLOYEES in decision making

Registrar vs Self-Certification

The benefits of a Quality Management System can be reaped with or without an official seal of approval from a registrar. When customers demand it or it provides credibility in the marketplace, registration by a Registrar is certainly required. Some organizations have opted to keep their Quality System in place by means of self-certifying or using outside consultants not affiliated with a registrar to minimize the costs while maximizing the benefits of a Quality Management System.

In Summary

One of the most powerful approaches to organizational high-performance can be combining fully optimized processes with a properly implemented ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System. To discuss how a Quality Management System could benefit your company, please contact George Tennant at (315) 425-5144 or gtennant@tdo.org.