Certificate Mill G-PMC: Accreditation is Antisemitic
In my series of articles The Indefensibles I point out the simultaneously hilarious and ethically void behavior of the world's unaccredited ISO 9001 and AS9100 registrars, or "certificate mills." I am working on two more such pieces, but this bit couldn't wait. Daryl...
Quick Review of ISO 9001:2015 Working Draft
The ISO 9001:2015 draft is leaked like a pirated DVD screener, so let the pre-release reviews commence. As you probably know, I've "sat out" this round of 9001 development and have not participated in the US TAG to TC 176 this time. So I've relied on my ever-growing...
Smithers: SN9001 is “Internationally recognized” — Wait, WHAT?
The shameless, fact-free marketing of Smither's pending SN9001 certification program continues apace, with the ANAB-accredited registrar expanding it's dubious claims not only conceptually, but geographically. So far, Smithers has made the unsupported claim that...
This IAQG Configuration Management Diagram Will Drive You Insane
This you have to see to believe. In it's "helpful" IAQG Configuration Management Guidelines (ver. A), the IAQG included this slide, depicting a typical CM workflow for AS9100-minded companies. Caution! If you look at this, Oxebridge disavows any damage to your...
ANAB Was Right… and I Was Wrong
I am not above eating crow, but generally do so only under two conditions: when I am proven wrong, and have to face up to it, or when I am really, really hungry and those crows are mocking me, so they deserve it, the bastards. In this case, it's the former. I recently...
Unauditable: A Review of the New SN9001 Standard
There's been some controversy brimming over ASCA's release of SN9001, the ISO 9001 sector variant for the snow and ice management industry, but few people have actually seen a copy of the standard to assess it accurately. I've been personally challenged by...
Consultants: Win Loyalty with Honest Pricing
Another installment on Oxebridge's "How to Be An Excellent ISO 9001 Consultant" series, this time we look at one aspect of billing practices: expenses. There's a popular perception that consultants, of any industry, are scam artists intent on nickel-and-diming clients...
The Indefensibles: Unaccredited ISO 9001 Certificate Mills (Part 2)
In Part 1 we examined an unaccredited registrar operating as a sole proprietorship. But that's not representative of the full range of certificate mill companies. There are also auditing firms that offer a more formal looking conformity assessment service, but which...
Battle Over “Snow 9001” Heats Up
Quick hit: I've already come out against this ridiculous SN9001 standard created out of thin air by Smithers Quality Assessments and the American Snow Contractors Association, but I decided to attempt to confront the shysters pushing this scheme directly, taking to...
The Indefensibles: Unaccredited ISO 9001 Certificate Mills (Part 1)
There are many interpretations as to what, exactly, ISO 9001 certification means. Is it a third party assessment of pure conformity to ISO 9001 requirements? Or is it a confirmation of process effectiveness? Or both? Neither? Regardless, the validity of any ISO 9001...