Latest News & Opinion on the ISO Certification Scheme
Oxebridge Launches New Fan Mail Page to Irritate Critics
Egos are fragile things, and the best way to bulk up a fragile thing is to feed it incessantly. Thus, we invite you to send your emails and comments for our new Fan Mail page, telling us how great Oxebridge is. If you'd like to read what other people have said about...
REPRINT: ISO 9001’s Existential Crisis
(Originally posted 06 Sept 2013) With the Committee Draft of ISO 9001:2015, it's evident that ISO has entered into a full blown existential crisis. I'd say mid-life crisis, but that would assume we are only halfway through the life of ISO 9001, and ISO seems dead-set...
ISO Doesn’t Have Consensus on Whether it Has Consensus
ISO officials cannot agree on whether a single sentence will or will not be removed from all standards, nor what prompted it. But even as they disagree, the claim they are in agreement.
ANAB Opens, Closes, Re-opens Smithers Complaint
After only 48 hours' of investigation, ANAB had ruled that Smithers was not in any conflict of interest over its co-marketing of ISO 9001 and SN9001 services with consultant John Allin. Read the original complaint here, and the ANAB response here. Then compare it with...
Floodgates Opened: Unprecedented CB Efforts to “Partner” with Consultants
In the past there has always been a secretive, wink-wink arrangement between some consultants and certification bodies. This has been because accreditation rules for CBs prohibit them from directly marketing their services with those of a consulting body. So any such arrangements had to be under the table. Now, not so much.
UKAS Responds to Elevated Complaint, Sides with BSI
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has determined that the practices and products of ISO 9001 registrar BSI do not present a conflict of interest as they do not rise to the definition of “consulting.” UKAS issued this ruling as part of a response to a complaint elevated to it by Oxebridge, which alleged widespread violations of ISO 17021 rules requiring a separation between consulting and certification auditing activities.
Smithers Complaint Escalated to ANAB
The complaint filed against Smithers Quality Assessment has been escalated to ANAB, after Smithers failed to conduct any corrective action.
Minor Tweak Would Allow All 20,000 ISO Standards to be Used for Certification
A seemingly minor and administrative interpretation of a decades-old regulation is now opening up every ISO “deliverable” for usage as a third party certification standard, a move which could mean millions — if not billions — of dollars in additional revenue for Certification and Accreditation Bodies.
ILO Doesn’t Like ISO’s Definition of Risk Either; ISO 31000 Headed for Certification Standard; ISO 45001 Draft Out
A trio of deep-insider tidbits: the ILO doesn’t much care for ISO’s definition of risk either; ISO 31000 is going to be rewritten as a standard for risk management system certification; and ISO 45001 on occupational health and safety is out.
Ask the So-Called “Expert” Your Deepest ISO Questions
Oxebridge is pleased to announce its new web feature, Ask the So-Called Expert, where you can ask your ISO 9001, AS9100 and other related questions directly to our famous VP Operations, Christopher Paris. Go easy, he’s no Einstein.
Again? Another Risk Management Company Caught Posing As a Woman Online
Another risk management consulting firm has been found using a fake LinkedIn profile, featuring a stolen image of a woman, to sell their services.
What is ISO 9001’s “Risk-Based Thinking” Anyway?
Strictly speaking, ISO 9001:2015 does NOT add risk management, but “risk based thinking.” So what does that mean, in a practical sense?
(UPDATED) Is G31000 Preparing to Self-Accredit?
G31000 is about to announce the formation of the “International Board for Risk Management Accreditation” which, one presumes, will then accredit G31000 in order to give validity to its certifications. But, the usual hiccups are immediately evident.
Smithers Pushes Ahead on SN9001 Training Alongside Consultant, Despite Complaint
Smithers Quality Assessments is continuing to market SN9001 training alongside consultant John Allin, despite a complaint filed to the registrar alleging that doing so violates conflict of interest rules identified in ISO 17021.
TC 176 “Ethics” Expert Palmes to Fill Vacant G31000 Speaker Slot Following Hardy Departure
US TAG to ISO Technical Committee 176 senior member Paul Palmes has signed to speak at G31000’s upcoming conference, presumably filling the seat of departed speaker Dr. Karen Hardy, who left after controversy erupted over her participation with the group.
ISO 9001, Nigel Croft, and Steven Spielberg: Dinosaur Hunter
Whereas we can laugh at the stupidity of internet folks freaking out over a photo of Steven Spielberg sitting next to a “dead” dinosaur model, are we guilty of the same kind of ridiculous assumption building when we trust Nigel Croft’s latest assertions about ISO 9001 document control advances?
Ambit Group Awards ISO / CMMI Contract to Oxebridge
The Ambit Group has awarded a contract for implementation of an integrated IT services management system to Oxebridge Quality Resources International. The resulting system will be compliant to three standards: ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and CMMI-SVC.
Dutch Certificate Mill QualityMasters Agrees to Certify “Death Jackets”
In a follow up to the recent story wherein a number of US certificate mills agreed to provide ISO 9001 certification services to a fictional company that designed cement life vests under the company name “LifeSink,” now the Dutch certificate mill QualityMasters has likewise agreed.
Now Hiring – Implementation Specialists, Tech Writers
Oxebridge is hiring for new Implementation Specialists.
Obama Risk Advisor Dropped from G31000 Speaker Lineup
The senior advisor on risk management to US President Barack Obama has been dropped from the list of speakers at the upcoming G31000 international conference, presumably after it was revealed she had purchased an unaccredited risk credential from the group.
EXCLUSIVE: ISO 9001 Certificate Mills Tried to Literally Certify Cement Life Jackets
In a riff off of the old 1980’s meme that ISO 9001 could “certify a manufacturer of cement life jackets,” a number of unaccredited or self-accredited ISO 9001 certificate mills have agreed to do just that, after a journalistic sting operation conducted by Oxebridge.
Why the Fight Against Certificate Mills is More Important Than Ever
As we approach 2015, the fight against the unaccredited (or self-accredited) certificate mills is taking on an entirely new shape and scope. A much larger initiative is underway, drawing in stakeholders and interested parties from a vast array of professions, agencies, governmental regulatory bodies, and more. The message will be loud and clear for the mills: get honest, or get lost.
Oxebridge Report Email List Culled; You May Have to Sign Up Again
Given the recent spamming by G31000, we decided to look inward and make sure Oxebridge was on the up and up. Now the Oxebridge Report mailing list is only about 200 names long at this point, but it was still worth examining.
Aerospace Trainer Misled Public on His Knowledge of Hypnosis
The aerospace auditor and trainer Richard Randall may have lied about his knowledge of hypnosis when defending himself against criticism that he trained both the AAQG and NQA auditors on hypnosis at three events in 2013. Online documents prove he not only received training in Ericksonian Hypnosis — the hypnotic method upon which NLP is partly based — but has an active interest in it, and seeks others for discussion on the subject.
(UPDATED) G31000 Spams the Guy They Are Suing, and the US Commerce Dept. Condones Certificate Mills
G31000 spams the guy they are suing, and the United States’ senior adviser on risk didn’t assess the risk of buying an unaccredited risk management credential from a French guy on the internet.
Hey, Certificate Mills! ISO Just Took Away Another Excuse For You Not Getting Accredited
For a mere 340 Swiss francs — which is equivalent to 100 gold knuts or something — you can buy a subscription to all the ISO conformity assessment standards in one big bundle. No more excuses, certificate mill operators!
Oxebridge Files Complaint Against Smithers for Co-Marketing SN9001 with Consultant
Oxebridge has filed a five-page complaint against Smithers Quality Assessments Inc. for colluding with PJA Inc. in the marketing of ISO 9001 and SN9001 services, thereby violating accreditation rules. PJA is operated by John Allin, and does business under the name...
Two Days After NY Attorney General Complaint is Filed, G31000 Sues Oxebridge
Two days after a formal complaint was filed with the New York State Attorney General's Antitrust Bureau alleging deceptive trade practices and fraud, the risk management group G31000 North America has filed a lawsuit against Oxebridge. The lawsuit alleges that...
9000 Store Makes Biggest Bullsh*t Claim Regarding Risk, Ever
According to the 9000 Store, Deming and his idea of building reliable, mutually beneficial relationships with a small set of key suppliers should just die already, because ISO 9001’s new risk requirement would have “required” using a huge and unwieldy set of suppliers to offset the risk of tsunamis.
The Origins of ISO Risk, Part 1: Unlooming the Tangle
Part one of Oxebridge’s exclusive series on the origins of risk within ISO standards, and how both Annex SL and ISO 31000 have become major initiatives for ISO.
TUV’s Voluntary AS9100 Suspension is Temporary, Representative Reports
TUV Rheinland North America has voluntarily suspended its ANAB accreditation for AS9100 and AS9120. A company representative has reported to Oxebridge that the suspension is temporary, and will not affect current TUV clients.
SN9001 Incest Continues Apace, as Training Programs Launch
The ANAB-Smithers-ASCA triumvirate pushes ahead on their “make a standard no one asked for” business model, as they launch the first of what will no doubt be an endless number of ISO 9001 / SN9001 training programs for gullible companies within the snow and ice management industry.
Oxebridge to Present “Risky Business: Surviving the Future of ISO 9001:2015” to USMC Camp Pendleton
Oxebridge founder and VP Operations Christopher Paris will be presenting Risky Business: Surviving the Future of ISO 9001:2015 to the US Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on June 20th.
Chris Paris to Present “Six Sense Auditing” to ASQ Temecula, June 19
Oxebridge founder Christopher Paris will be presenting a public seminar on “Six Sense Auditing” to the ASQ Section 0713 in Temecula California.
Registrar NQA Gave Hypnosis Presentation in 2013 – Twice
ANAB accredited ISO 9001 and AS9100 registrar NQA-USA gave a presentation on using NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) to auditors and clients during two training sessions in 2013.
