Latest News & Opinion on the ISO Certification Scheme
Top Ten Mistakes ISO 9001 Consultants Make – Part 1
This marks the first of a series of "How to Be an Excellent ISO 9001 Consultant" articles; it would equally apply to consultants of other management systems including AS9100, ISO 14001, TS 16949, etc. Here I present some common mistakes that ISO 9001 consultants make...
NSF Acquires INASSA Peru
Ann Arbor MI - NSF International has acquired the INASSA Group of Lima, Peru, a leader in the Peruvian market in quality control, analytical testing, certifications, inspections, training and consulting. The INASSA Group will now be known as NSF-INASSA, NSF-Envirolab...
RABQSA Issues Notice, FAQ on its Suspension
RABQSA has released the following email regarding the recent decision by the American Aerospace Quality Group's Registration Management Committee (RMC) to suspend its ability to certify AS9100 auditors, pending resolution of multiple nonconformities. Dear Valued...
AAQG Suspends RABQSA, Shutting Down Aerospace Auditor Certifications
We're watching this one closely, but my sources tell me that the Registration Management Committee (RMC) of the AAQG has suspended RABQSA and halted their ability to issue new AS9100 and related auditor certifications. Sources have indicated that it was due a...
Boeing Rushed Dreamliner (AP)
I'm monitoring this story closely. Will this be the "Seldon Crisis" that pushes AS9100 weaknesses into the forefront, and finally drives change? Early indications are ... no. Boeing may yet dodge a bullet on that. Via AP: "From the Start, Dreamliner Jet Program Was...
Registrar Offloading Work Onto Client: A Growing Trend?
The "PEAR Controversy" has almost run its course, with a denouement yet to be played out (but coming), and the feedback on the matter has settled into roughly three camps. First, though, a background: it's been discovered that registrar auditors have been having...
What Developing Nations Can Teach Us About ISO 9001
There is much cynical, if nevertheless true, discussion about the decline of ISO 9001's impact, usefulness, merits, etc. We've seen a lot of comments about how ISO 9001 hasn't achieved what it intended, and how it doesn't necessarily result in an improved QMS. But the...
ISO Survey 2012 Data Released – First Impressions
ISO has released its annual ISO Survey report, giving totals on ISO 9001 certifications worldwide. In good news, it is releasing the information for free this year (prompted, I'm told, by poor sales of last year's report.) In not-so-good news, they password-protected...
Bill Fox Interview with Chris Paris for “5 Minutes to Process Improvement” Series
Bill Fox of the "5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success" series has interviewed Oxebridge Quality Resources' founder Christopher Paris, on the subject of identifying processes. The full interview can be read here:...
ISO Releases Standard on “People Involvement”
I'll have more on this soon, as I delve deeper. Here is ISO 10018, the new standard on "Guidelines on People Involvement and Competence." Getting the best out of people - ISO 10018 aids ISO 9001 implementation (source: ISO.org) Seems ISO's view of "involvement of...
Whittington Article on True Audit Sampling
Quick hit: Larry Whittington of Whittington & Associates has a great article on sampling for audits. The best I've ever read on the subject. Audit Sampling (direct link) Ever seen a registrar audit like this? I didn't think so.
Promoting ISO 9001 – Peruvian Style
Some examples of the many ways Peruvian companies advertise their ISO 9001 certifications. This results in a massive consumer awareness of ISO 9001, driving certification from the public, rather than through mandates by prime customers. [gallery link="file"...
Snow Job: SN9001 “Standard” Furthers Industry Self-Cannibalization
by Christopher Paris In case you hadn't heard, there's a new sector specific standard out called SN9001. It's for the (guess) snow and ice management industry. Yep, those guys. Apparently snow management companies had to make their own standard, because ISO 9001 was...
IAF Rules: Clients May Fill in Audit Evidence, CB’s Only to “Verify”
Tampa FL -- The International Accreditation Forum has responded to an initial request by Oxebridge Quality Resources on the issue of AS9100 CB auditors requesting clients to complete PEAR and other audit forms prior to the audit, ruling that the practice is...
Why Auditor “Opportunities for Improvement” Are the Exact Opposite of That
by Christopher Paris The debate over whether ISO 9001 certification body (CB) auditors should offer "OFI's" (opportunities for improvement) cuts to the core of some of the problems facing the international standard. While most auditors and CB reps insist that clients...
Puch Manufacturing Advances to AS9100
Orlando FL -- Puch Manufacturing Corp, a contract manufacturer of machined products for aerospace and other industries, has updated its quality management system to comply with AS9100 Rev C. Puch was an ISO 9001 client for Oxebridge from 2004. In developing the new...
Another Look at the ISO Spin Machine
by Christopher Paris A recent article on ISO 26000 give an excellent example of how ISO uses only the most dubious data that supports a predetermined marketing initiative, and ignores actual data that might contradict it. The article is linked here:...
“PEAR Controversy” to be Escalated to IAF
Tampa FL --- The debate over whether AS9100 certification body auditors may request, or even require, audit clients to complete their own evidence reports prior to the audit is being escalated to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). Representing aerospace...
The Case Against “Improvement” in ISO 9001
by Christopher Paris VP Operations, Oxebridge Quality Resources International ISO requires that its management system standards undergo a review every 5 years, for the purposes of improving them. The unwritten, but accepted, practice is that every other...
“Passive” Customer Satisfaction Measurement for ISO 9001
by Christopher Paris VP Operations, Oxebridge Quality Resources When ISO 9001:2000 was released, it introduced a need to gather data on customer satisfaction. This resulted in a flood of "Satisfaction Surveys" being released by ISO 9001 certified organizations to...
Oxebridge Introduces “Big Bold Print” Quoting for Its Services
Tampa FL --- Oxebridge Quality Resources International is happy to introduce an even more streamlined method of quoting costs for its ISO 9001 and other services. "Big Bold Print Quoting" presents a flat, fixed rate cost in easy-to-understand terms. In 2009, Oxebridge...
IAQG RMC: OK for Clients to Complete PEARs for AS9100 Auditors
Winter Haven FL -- Responding to a formal request for clarification on the use of PEAR forms during AS9100 Rev C audits, the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) has issued an opinion to Oxebridge. The request for clarification came after...
Tech Source Achieves ISO 9001 Certification
Altamonte FL -- Tech Source Inc., a manufacturer of electronic components for air traffic control (ATC) and other markets, has been recommended for ISO 9001:2008 certification by ISOQAR, an ANAB accredited registrar of quality management systems. Tech Source underwent...
Small Wind Certification Council Accredited to ISO Guide 65 by A2LA
Clifton Park NY -- The Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) has been granted accreditation to ISO Guide 65 by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). SWCC certifies small wind turbines against international standards for performance, to ensure...
ASQ Hires Firm to Generate “Non-Dues Revenue” via Career Center, Spam
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) has contracted with Boxwood Technology to promote usage of the Society's online "Career Center" portal. Boxwood claims to be a "trusted career center provider for associations" which has "generated $300 million in non-dues...
Oxebridge Releases DumbAS9100 – A Smartass’ Guide to AS9100
Tampa FL --- Oxebridge has finally followed up its wildly popular Eyesore 9000 parody document with an aerospace version based on AS9100 Rev C, called DumbAS9100. The document is available for free download from the Oxebridge humor page. DumbAS9100 is a 39-page,...
AS9110 B Includes Minor New Requirements, Emphasizes Technical Data
A review by Oxebridge of the new AS9110 Rev. B standard, for aircraft repair stations, reveals that the revised document does include a number of minor new requirements. Below is a list of new or modified requirements in the AS9110 B standard, as compared to the Rev....
SAE Releases AS9110 Rev. B
Warrendale PA -- SAE International has released the latest revision to AS9110, the quality management system standard for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organizations. This latest version is Revision B, and replaces the previous version originally...
OakTree Achieves ISO 9001 After Oxebridge Rapid Implementation
Reston VA -- OakTree Solutions, a provider of IT services for US government agencies, defense firms and other organizations, has been recommended for ISO 9001:2008 certification by NSF-ISR. OakTree is a provider of software solutions and consulting services related...
AS9100 C: Windfall for Prime OEMs, Boondoggle for Users?
by Christopher Paris As more and more supporting documents, facts and actual audit experiences leak out, one thing is becoming clear: AS9100 revision C is a very different animal than its predecessor, Rev. B. But a page-to-page comparison between the standards...
In Attempt to Avoid Criticism, AAQG Bans Self
by Christopher Paris It's been a tough week to be an internet representative of the Americas Aerospace Quality Group. Criticism had already been building from AS9100 end users at the botched rollout of various supporting rules, like AS9101 and AS9104, which are...
Atlantic Aero to Add AS9110, Expand Scope of AS9100
Greensboro NC -- Atlantic Aero Incorporated is expanding the scope of its aerospace QMS certifications to include its Greensboro-based aircraft repair station, as well as its Engineering Services division. The company's Manufacturing Division in Kernersville NC...
The Irony of Power in the QMS Certification World – Part 3
by Christopher Paris (Part 1 here, Part 2 here) In the first two parts of this series, I showed how certification bodies, training organizations, accreditation bodies, quality publications and even other consultants work in harmony to restrict the open discussion, and...
The Irony of Power in the QMS Certification World – Part 2
by Christopher Paris (Part one may be read here.) Choking Dissent As the recent AAQG / Cessna controversy shows, these organizations are not above cutting off any public discussion to shut down a conversation that doesn't go their way. Over at the LinkedIn AAQG group,...
The Irony of Power in the QMS Certification World – Part 1
by Christopher Paris ISO 10002 provides guidance on the processing of customer feedback and complaints. It's a worthwhile standard, and if applied properly can dramatically improve an organization of any stripe. The standard really hits home the importance of seeking...
