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...
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...
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...
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:...
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...