Standardization Makes the World Go Round
From light bulbs that screw into lamps, to discs that run in every DVD player, to electronic files that transfer seamlessly between devices, standards play an integral role in everyday life. But few stop to think about these standards: Where do they come from and how are they developed?
more »An Update on ISO/TS 16949
There have been a number of questions about the status of ISO/TS 16949, particularly as a result of the release of ISO 9001:2008. Because ISO 9001 is the foundation for ISO/TS 16949, the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) actively participated in ISO/TC 176's amendment of ISO 9001, along with many other participants from voting member countries and liaisons. The result was the release of ISO 9001:2008 in October 2008. The technical clarifications and revised wording changes in ISO 9001 resulted in no new requirements.
more »The Hazardous Road to Hazardous Substance Process Management
Have you ever wondered what it takes to create an international standard and have it adopted by industry worldwide? I have first-hand experience with the hard work, politics, and controversy involved, and had I known how difficult creating an international standard is before I started, I may not have volunteered to lead such a project. However, the result of all that work was the creation of IECQ QC 080000:2005 for hazardous substance process management, which is now four years old. More than 1,500 organizations around the world have registered to this standard, and I am very pleased to have been one of the leaders in its development and deployment-despite the hard work.
more »Quality Objectives
A poll was conducted of more than 300 quality professionals that asked, "What are your quality objectives?" The results were very heartening! "Customer satisfaction" was by far the most-cited quality objective, followed closely by "decrease product defects" and "reduce complaints." Why am I so happy about the data? Because these quality objectives address much more than traditional quality topics. They span the full range of business concerns: revenue, profit, cost control, safety, and employee retention. Whatever matters most to your organization is what you should measure as your quality objectives.
more »How "New" is the New Standard?
A lot has been written already by folks who know what they're talking about on the changes in ISO 9001:2008. I'm not going to repeat what they've said, or worse, try and summarize their points; instead, I'd like to look at what this means for auditors.
more »Chartered Quality Institute Withdraws from European Organization for Quality
The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) recently announced its decision to withdraw from active involvement in the European Organization for Quality (EOQ).
more »ANAB Offers New Accreditation Program
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) recently began offering accreditation for the e-Stewards certification program developed by the Basel Action Network.
more »ASQ Releases Quarterly Quality Report
Social responsibility (SR) is the focus of the American Society for Quality's (ASQ) most recent Quarterly Quality Report, which examines the SR approaches taken by three very different companies: Target, Ecolab Inc., and 3M.
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HITSP Begins Harmonization Process for Use of Electronic Health Records in Clinical Research
The Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP), a cooperative partnership between the public and private sectors that works to ensure the interoperability of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States, has begun work to identify global standards to support "core research data element exchange," specifically, a common set of information that can readily be exchanged between EHRs and clinical research systems.
more »Certification Bodies Invited to Apply for New Toy Safety Certification Program
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is now accepting applications for certification bodies seeking accreditation according to requirements defined under the new Toy Industry Association (TIA) Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP).
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