Are You Sure Your Torque Wrench is Capable of the Force You are Using It For? How to Determine Effectively the Equipment Needed for Your Monitoring and Measurement Activities

In case you are not sure if the equipment you are currently using for your monitoring and measuring activities is the most adequate equipment or if you are wondering why such as expensive tool is used to inspect a certain part, then it may be worth for you to understand tolerances, accuracy and what the …

Miriam Boudreaux December 11, 2009

Continual Improvement… It’s Not So Easy, a Caveman Could Not Do It!

When I started my career nearly 20 years ago, the world was a little different. People were still smoking in the workplace, Dilbert was in everybody’s desk and the quality program of the month was the joke du jour. Many things have changed since then for the goodness of the world and the quality of …

Miriam Boudreaux November 27, 2009

Mayday, Mayday…Where Did My Laptop Go?! Nine Basic Information Security Controls Any Company Should Implement

I’m sure you’ve heard of laptops being stolen, but have you heard of laptops being swapped? Lost or stolen laptops and the data they carry are just one of the disasters that may ail you or your organization one day. In reality, there are many more security incidents that can affect the security of your …

Miriam Boudreaux November 13, 2009

ISO and Other Quality Initiatives Can Improve Our Processes, But Can They Improve Our Sales?

When a quality management system is implemented, results are evident immediately: reduction in warranty cost, reduction in rework, reduction in scrap, higher profit margins, etc. Would you agree that ISO and other quality initiatives such as Lean, Six Sigma, 5S can significantly improve any company’s processes -if requirements are correctly implemented? Why, if you know …

Miriam Boudreaux October 30, 2009

When Top Management Believes, Breakthroughs Can Happen

Ok, so we’ve been certified to the ISO 9001 standard for the longest. Yes our processes are better, we have gotten new customers over the years because of the certification, and yes we track our objectives and customer satisfaction. But is there anything else left to be extracted out of our program and its recurrent …

Miriam Boudreaux October 16, 2009

The History Behind MXI-CON-HOU-SOP-2-009-A

Back when the ISO 9001 standard came about over 20 years ago, emphasis was on documentation and unfortunately not much on the organization’s processes. Although the standard was well intended it caused many companies to produce a chart similar to the one below: Most organizations had the exact same chart on their manuals and whether …

Miriam Boudreaux September 18, 2009

What Does Calibration and Approved Suppliers Have in Common?

When you think about equipment that is used for measuring and test activities, you think about important equipment that is used to pass/fail product but may not necessarily find correlation with suppliers. However this very equipment – whether is calibrated in-house or off-site – does involve a supply chain one way or the other and …

Miriam Boudreaux September 4, 2009

Was is Necessary to Revise ISO 9001:2000 to ISO 9001:2008?

Since the inception of the ISO 9001:2000 revision it was clear that this version of the standard was so robust and coherent that more people were able to understand its tremendous value and potential for improving a company’s overall processes rather than being a mere documentation guide. In fact the standard was so well written …

Miriam Boudreaux August 28, 2009

How to Handle Out-Of-Calibration Equipment Appropriately

If you have ever found equipment that is out of calibration, then you know it is not something to take lightly. Whether you manufacture children’s toys or automobile tires, you know that the implications and ramifications of the decisions you make, can be devastating for your company. Although the requirements from the ISO 9001 standard …

Miriam Boudreaux August 21, 2009

How to Boost Your Preventive Action Program

One difficult task of many companies is the ability to instill in its employees the mindset of error or problem prevention in order to prevent problems or mistakes from happening and to improve the processes in place. This consequently translates into a low to none ratio of preventive actions against corrective actions issued which may …

Miriam Boudreaux August 14, 2009

Twenty Two Years After the Standard’s Inception, Why are There Companies Still Not ISO 9001 Certified?

Even after many years of hearing the word ISO 9000 and seeing many organizations get ISO certified, there are still companies who are skeptical when it comes to registering for ISO 9001 certification. For some, a misconception on the objectives of the ISO 9001 standard or the lack of knowledge may steer them off this …

Miriam Boudreaux August 7, 2009

Do You Need a Consultant to Achieve ISO 9001 Certification?

Well, a simple answer is no, you don’t need a consultant to achieve ISO 9001 certification. In fact many companies achieve ISO 9001 on their own, by appointing key employees to the task. The implications however of trying to implement a system on your own can be a set back to your business if resources …

Miriam Boudreaux July 31, 2009

How to Pass an ISO Audit?

I’ve worked with several companies over the years and dealt with different individuals, different processes and different levels of ISO 9000 understanding. However when an organization is getting ready to apply for ISO 9000 certification, the question remains: “Are we going to pass the audit? Similar questions I have been asked are: How many of …

Miriam Boudreaux July 24, 2009

ISO Audit Results and Nonconformities

There are some misconceptions about what ISO audit findings are. In this article, I attempt to explain clearly what audit findings are, what types of findings may be generated in an audit and the guidelines that is widely use to categorize audit findings. What are the results of audits? Depending on the audit style adopted …

Miriam Boudreaux July 17, 2009

Understanding the Background and New Approaches of ISO 9001

Philosophical Background of ISO 9000 When ISO 9001 started more than 20 years ago, it started as a progression to the guidelines applied to a defined set of institutions, specifically the military, whose functions, products and services were always the same. The standards where indeed tweaked a few years after so that they could be …

Miriam Boudreaux July 10, 2009

Tips & Advice

Are You Sure Your Torque Wrench is Capable of the Force You are Using It For? How to Determine Effectively the Equipment Needed for Your Monitoring and Measurement Activities

Continual Improvement… It’s Not So Easy, a Caveman Could Not Do It!

Mayday, Mayday…Where Did My Laptop Go?! Nine Basic Information Security Controls Any Company Should Implement

ISO and Other Quality Initiatives Can Improve Our Processes, But Can They Improve Our Sales?

When Top Management Believes, Breakthroughs Can Happen

The History Behind MXI-CON-HOU-SOP-2-009-A

What Does Calibration and Approved Suppliers Have in Common?

Was is Necessary to Revise ISO 9001:2000 to ISO 9001:2008?

How to Handle Out-Of-Calibration Equipment Appropriately

How to Boost Your Preventive Action Program

Twenty Two Years After the Standard’s Inception, Why are There Companies Still Not ISO 9001 Certified?

Do You Need a Consultant to Achieve ISO 9001 Certification?

How to Pass an ISO Audit?

ISO Audit Results and Nonconformities

Understanding the Background and New Approaches of ISO 9001

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The Essential Steps to Jumpstart your ISO/API Certification Journey!