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...
New AS rules: Can’t Fire Your Registrar for Bogus Audit Findings
by Christopher Paris SAE finally released AS9104/1, the document which defines some key rules for certification bodies ("CB's, or registrars) when conducting AS9100/AS9110/AS9120 certification audits. Never mind that this rulebook comes a few years after the release...
The Intended Good Consequences of AS9101’s PEAR
by Christopher Paris There has been a flurry of controversy over AS9100's new Process Effectiveness Assessment Report, or PEAR form, being used by accredited AS9100 registrars. In fact, the form has nothing to do with AS9100 Rev C, but instead is a mandatory form to...
Despite “Blacklist”, Oxebridge Still Sends Leads to UL
by Christopher Paris I know I shouldn't, and they certainly want me to stop, but I can't help sending the occasional lead to Underwriter's Labs (UL). UL doesn't want free leads because, you know, in this Golden Age of ISO 9001 registration, the certification bodies...
Do It Yourself “Rapid ISO 9001” – Ten Quick Pointers
by Christopher Paris Recently, a fellow posted a question on LinkedIn asking for tips on how to implement ISO 9001 quickly. Like a batsignal going up, I was compelled to reply. I came up with a list of 10 -- okay, 11 -- points that summarized what I have been saying...
ASQ Holds Auditor Conference in Casino, Overlooks Irony
by Christopher Paris In an age where more and more companies are questioning the validity of QMS auditing practices, challenging auditor performance and wary of registrar accreditation, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) has elected to hold its next auditing...
Registrars Would Benefit From A Customer Perspective – Part 3
by Christopher Paris VP Operations, Oxebridge Quality Resources International (Read part 2 of this article here.) Summarizing the Customer's Perspective Registrars must understand, remember, and then train their staff on the following truisms: Clients project their...
Auditor Incompetence Plagues Industry, Industry Yawns
by Christopher Paris The release of ISO 17021:2011, the latest standard governing the practices of accredited registrars for ISO 9001, AS9100 and other standards, included what appeared to be tough talk on monitoring the "behavior" of auditors. Sure, there were the...
Hey, RABQSA: I Told You So
by Christopher Paris Back when the US accreditation body RAB was found to be sitting on a big, fat conflict of interest by simultaneously certifying auditors as well as accrediting ISO 9001 registrars, the organization was split into two bodies, ANAB (the...
Standards.org to Launch Free Resource for ISO 9001, Other Users
by Christopher Paris VP Operations I, no doubt like many other leading consultants in the ISO 9001 and related standards fields, received an invitation from Standards.org, a new site that aims to act as a one-stop portal for organizations seeking information on...