The AREs vs the WANNA-BEs
In this world, there are two types of organizations: those that are ISO certified, and those that want to be. Which one is your organization? We ARE ISO 9001 certified! Mireaux’s ISO 9001 Certificate of …
What’s the Difference Series: Compliance vs Certification
Recently, one of our readers asked, “What does it mean when a company says they operate under a Quality Management System that is in compliance with ISO 9001:2000? I’m assuming they are not ISO certified. If not, isn’t this a claim that just anyone can make?” Right off the bat, the statement that company has …
My ISO Audit is Coming Up and I Have an Emergency – Can We Reschedule?
Can we reschedule an ISO audit? A reader recently asked, “We got certified last year in April. Does our audit this year have to be in April, or can we have it a few months before or after?” …
What if our Politicians Were Required to Implement an ISO 9001 Quality Management System on Themselves?
Are you fed up with our politicians? Do you feel they don’t have any morals or goals, or that they do not listen to their constituents’ suggestions for improvement? Do you feel sometimes they don’t know what they are doing?…
So When Exactly Should I Use a Corrective Action?
No matter how much we try to meet the continual improvement requirements of the standard, when it comes to corrective action, there are times when we are not sure when to call an issue corrective action or not …
ISO is Easier Said than Done Series: Why We Have No ISO Exclusions
When it comes to becoming ISO certified, many organizations try to take as many exclusions as they can from their scope of certification. I imagine they do this because it reduces the number of audit days, and because the cost of certification is determined by the number of audit days. But I think they also …
ISO is Easier Said than Done Series: Mano a Mano – Ultimate Registrar Comparison
So you’re ready to become ISO certified and have found yourself facing the first hurdle: Deciding which ISO Registrar to pick. Don’t worry; you are not alone. For years we’ve helped organizations pick an ISO registrar to match their company’s culture and needs, and for years we’ve seen the process being complex and cumbersome, to …
What is the Grandfather Clause in ISO, and When Should I Use It?
When implementing a new management system based on the ISO standards, whether it is a quality management system, environmental management system, information security management system, etc., …
Our ISO Management Rep is Leaving the Company: Should I Call 911?
Your ISO management Rep is leaving the company, and you have yet to reassign the post. Don’t worry – there is no need to hit the panic button or call 911. If you are wondering whether there are any formalities that need to be followed, then you are on the right track. With some simple …
Document Review: Do I HAVE to?
Deciding how to control your documents can be difficult. ISO 9001 requires you to maintain accurate and up-to-date procedures, but doesn’t give a lot of guidance on how to get there. Between the requirements and the implementation lie grey areas and confusion. Let’s take a look at the difference between what is required and what …
Excuse Me, Mr. Auditor, Can I Phone a Friend?
There you are, in the middle of an Internal or External Audit, and the Auditor asks you a question that you are truly not sure about. What do you do? Hit the panic button. Ask the audience for a hint. Phone a friend. Well, there isn’t a studio audience, and chances are the Auditor didn’t …
What’s the Difference Series: NCRs vs NCNs vs CARs vs PARs vs SCARs vs CAPA vs CPARs vs CIP
So, you think you’ve got it all figured it out, and then, BAM! Somebody else comes with a new acronym to throw you off your game. Well, don’t give up so soon. Quality is not that hard, or at least not as hard as some people expect it to be. It all boils down to …
Antithesis of a Politician: The Good Quality Professional
Have you ever wondered how most politicians are made? Where do they come from? They definitely seem to come from a different dimension than the rest of us. I think one thing is certain: they are different from the average quality folk. In fact, good quality professionals are the antithesis of most politicians. Explore with …
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Quality
So you have been in the Quality world for many years. Admit it, you are the underdog. No matter if the whole company revolves around you, you are not the Operations Manager nor are you the Sales Leader. You are the underdog. They like you when they need you and they spit you when they …
If You Want Guaranteed Success, Then You Need Informal Assessments: Audits on Steroids
Have you ever wondered why the last Internal Audit or External Audit uncovered so many issues even though you thought everything was great? Are most of your nonconformities or corrective actions pointed out by external parties? If the answer to any of these questions is yes then what you may need in order to pass …
