ISO Consulting, Training, Certification | D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Transitioning from AS9100B to C: Are you ready?

Posted on January 28, 2012 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Those of you who work in aerospace know how critical it is to have the latest standards-based management systems in place.

This highly regulated and competitive environment demands uniform standards at all stages of the supply chain. In fact, major aerospace manufacturers and suppliers worldwide require compliance and/or registration to AS9100 as a condition of doing business with them.

The industry certainly takes notice when those standards change. That’s certainly the case with AS9100, which was primarily developed for the aviation, space and defense industry, but can also be used in other businesses to improve quality, schedule and cost performance.

An updated standard – AS9100C – went into effect last year. Among the changes, 9100C:

Incorporates ISO 9001:2008 changes
Expands scope to include land- and sea-based systems for defense applications
Ensures alignment with IAQG strategy (on-time, on-quality performance)
Adopts new requirements based on stakeholder needs
Improves existing requirements

One key focus of AS9100C is meeting customer delivery and/or quality indicators. Customer focus is critical to Revision C, and we encourage all AS9100-registered companies to take a hard look at this requirement.

We can help. Our Sue Snyder is gaining a national reputation for AS9100 training and audits, and she’d be happy to help you decipher the changes.

While you’re at it, make plans to sign up for our AS9100C Lead Auditor class in April. Register here.

Posted in AS 9100, Management Standards | Leave a comment

Harness the power of ISO 9000 and Six Sigma

Posted on January 6, 2012 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Many companies see ISO 9001 and Six Sigma as two different standards that must compete for scarce resources.

ISO 9000, of course, is a well-established international standard for quality management systems for all kinds of companies in nearly every industry. Six Sigma, meanwhile, is a methodology for process improvement made popular by its adaption at global giants like GE and Motorola.

And yet, taken together, these hallmarks of effective management can make quite an impact on a company’s bottom line.

Here’s a great article that explains just this. To quote:

“Six Sigma and ISO 9000 can be highly complementary. Unfortunately, the two concepts often are driven by different project leaders, competing for resources and therefore not delivering the best results. There is, however, a way to combine the power of both concepts to add value to a company.”

One of the major differences between both systems is that ISO 9000 provides a structure of requirements without any tools whereas Six Sigma is a methodology connecting tools and procedures to apply tools.

It’s no longer efficient to have a quality management system and process improvement approach existing side-by-side without any integration. As the authors in the referenced article put it, “Aligning ISO 9000 and Six Sigma can help improve the credibility of the ISO 9000 quality management system and the sustainability of the Six Sigma initiative at the same time. It can save resources and investments; and it enriches the way to manage the business.”

That’s why D’Ardenne Associates is now offering Six Sigma training. Led by associate Becky Kates, we’re now training employees at all levels how to improve productivity and achieve White Belt, Green Belt and Black Belt certification.

So go ahead. Harness the power of both ISO and Six Sigma. Check out our course calendar and register today.

Posted in ISO 9000, Six Sigma | Leave a comment

Put benefits of management standards on your wish list

Posted on December 7, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

The end of the year is always a great time to reassess progress and plan for the future.

One item on your holiday wish list ought to be elevating your company to world-class standards through ISO certification. Over the past few months we’ve featured a few examples of how having the right processes and procedures in place can boost bottom lines. Here are some highlights:

Escort Data Loggers, Inc. designs and manufactures the most technically advanced and reliable self-powered data loggers in the world. The company’s products ensure the safe transport of perishable items for the food, life science, medical and other industries. The company became ISO 9001:2008 certified to help it successfully compete in the crowded global marketplace. The result? New clients attracted to its quality-focused, structured operations.

Adaptive Technologies Inc. is a research and development company that tackles problems associated with noise control, hearing protection and signal processing. The company reduced the number of procedures it had to maintain by a third, reduced the quality manual by almost 70 percent and improved the way the company measures its goals, saving time and money.

The Virginia Utility Protection Service, known as Miss Utility of Virginia, is a not-for-profit organization created by Virginia’s utilities to protect their underground facilities. VUPS is pursuing ISO certification to provide the structure for world-class continual improvement that will drive efficiencies and provide even better customer service.

Check out their stories here, then make your own resolution to get serious about reaching your fullest potential.

Review our course calendar then contact us today. One less thing to worry about this holiday season.

Posted in Benefits of ISO Certification, Improve Your Business Practices | Leave a comment

Business continuity: Are you ready for risk?

Posted on November 10, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Many of our clients choose ISO certification to grow their business and better compete in global markets. It’s a proactive way to make the most of management.

But standards also apply when protecting your business from risk. The same processes and procedures that support, say, efficient production, apply to developing an effective response to unknowns — the nasty things that can happen to a business, including fire, theft, vandalism, earthquakes, floods, pandemic illnesses and more.

In other words, the kind of stuff that can keep you up at night.

Business continuity planning touches on numerous ISO categories, including aerospace, environmental management, information technology service management and information security. Business continuity also has its own certification, BS 25999.

BS 25999 consists of two parts. The first seeks to establish processes, principles and terminology for business continuity management. The second, “BS 25999-2:2007, specifies requirements for implementing, operating and improving a documented Business Continuity Management System (BCMS), describing only requirements that can be objectively and independently audited.”

In short, incorporating business continuity into your management standards prepares you to better continue operating under adverse conditions. Any event that could impact your company should be considered, such as supply chain interruption, loss of or damage to critical infrastructure (major machinery or computing/network resource) and loss of key personnel.

Learn more about our upcoming BS25999 course, then contact us to learn more about reducing your risks and planning for the worst. The old cliché really is true — hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Posted in BS 25999, Improve Your Business Practices | Leave a comment

Third-party certification a key to ISO success

Posted on September 21, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Your company took the important step to commit to ISO certification. You’re ready for global quality management system standards to grow your business.

Where to start? One important step is third-party certification – having an independent expert ensure that your organization is taking the right steps to achieve ISO standards.

There are five basic steps to certification (also known as registration):

Application
Initial or preliminary assessment/document review
Certification assessment
Certification
Certification maintenance.

Each step depends on the success of the others. That’s why an independent third party – with expertise in the latest ISO standards and how to achieve them – is a key to your ISO success.

Unlike internal audits, the certification body cannot provide substantive guidance on how to achieve conformity. But this third party should facilitate observations and discussions to guide you through the process.

Consider it a trusted advisor on your road to certification success.

Not sure of your next steps? Take a look at our services, then contact us.

We’ll help you realize the many benefits of ISO registration to help you make the most of management.

Posted in Benefits of ISO Certification, Improve Your Business Practices, Third Party Verification | Leave a comment

Aerospace industry takes off with AS 9100

Posted on September 12, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

The competitive and regulated aerospace industry demands quality products, processes and service. It’s not simply a matter of increasing sales. For an industry where safety is paramount, being certified in quality management systems is a necessity.

That’s why there’s a system designed exclusively for the aerospace industry, AS 9100.

AS 9100 is an international collaborative effort to create a fully robust and standardized quality management system specific to the aerospace industry. The standard is based on key aspects such as airworthiness, safety, reliability and product conformity.

If you’re in the aerospace industry, working in anything from design and manufacturing to maintenance and parts distribution, becoming AS 9100 compliant enables you to:

Improve your management system processes so you can attain high-level output to meet your customers’ expectations.
Monitor business processes more efficiently so that management can eliminate inefficiencies, optimize resources and make continual improvements.
Ensure your products and services have a consistently high level of quality, safety and reliability to minimize costs and grow market share.

We’re thrilled to have on our team Sue Snyder, whose 15 years of extensive experience in aviation includes leadership in development, implementation, maintenance and auditing of business management systems.

Our October course, AS 9100C:Lead Auditor teaches the principles and practices of effective quality management systems for aerospace.

Now’s your chance to lead your company to the same high-level standards as the global aerospace industry.

Posted in AS 9100 | Leave a comment

New survey shows ISO 9001 value

Posted on August 26, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Like everything else these days, businesses are constantly evaluating their return on investment to validate their expenses.

I often talk about how management system standards make the most of management. But it’s not always easy for companies to understand the benefits until they get started. Only then will they see results.

A recent BSI survey found that an investment in ISO 9001 led to:

83% improving operational performance
77% being able to sell to new customers and retain existing ones
62% achieving cost savings

ISO 9001 is an internationally adopted quality system standard. It is the only quality management system to which any organization can be certified by an outside party, one which is totally independent from the organization being examined.

Learn how to elevate your company to world-class status and join the ranks of companies and organizations profiting from ISO certification.

Posted in Benefits of ISO Certification, Improve Your Business Practices, ISO 9000 | Leave a comment

Are you keeping up with maturing ISO standards?

Posted on August 2, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Back in the early days of ISO, with the introduction of ISO 9001 in 1987, management system standards changed the way companies operate.

With the advent of its 2008 version, ISO now requires that companies demonstrate that the system is being used to add value to their organization.

In performing third-party certification audits and conducting training, we’re seeing organizations that have implemented their system more than a decade ago but haven’t been able to fully take advantage of ISO’s ability to drive bottom-line improvements. Many companies haven’t kept up with ISO’s maturation and don’t see how much more the newer standards can make a significant difference in their businesses.

There are companies in industries such as aerospace, automobiles, defense and manufacturing that have recognized that for years but many companies have been content to be stagnant or to not take advantage of the changed direction of the standard.

Perhaps it’s time to get your company out of the “good enough” mentality and take the initiative to achieve world-class standards in productivity and profit.

Posted in Changes to ISO Standards, ISO Audits | Leave a comment

ISO standards good for everyone

Posted on July 25, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Many companies and organizations may not have a “system.” They may just have their way of doing things. Chances are, processes may not even be written down – or worse, they’re all in the heads of the owner.

Needless to say, this is not a good way to run a business.

The larger the organization, the more the likelihood that written procedures, instructions, forms or records are in place to keep things running smoothly. These help ensure that business is orderly and structured so time, money and other resources are being used as efficiently as possible.

To be an effective organization – of any size – you really have to have systems and processes in place so everyone is clear about who is responsible for doing what, when, how, why and where.

Large organizations or those with complicated processes could not function without management systems. Companies in such industries as aerospace, automobiles, defense and manufacturing have been operating management systems for years.

ISO’s management system standards make good management practice available to organizations of all sizes, in all sectors, anywhere in the world.

So get your business out of the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and get the training and consulting you need to achieve world-class standards.

Posted in Benefits of ISO Certification | Leave a comment

Eight quality management principles for your business

Posted on July 8, 2011 by D'Ardenne Associates, Ltd.

Businesses of any size should think big. You don’t have to be a multi-national conglomerate to have world-class quality processes and systems in place to grow your company.

As experts in ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, we’re big believers in putting the right framework in place for your future success. These eight quality management principles from ISO are worth sharing as you build and refine your business:

Customer focus: Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.

Leadership: Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives.

Involvement of people: People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization’s benefit.

Process approach: A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.

System approach to management: Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.

Continual improvement: Continual improvement of the organization’s overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.

Factual approach to decision-making: Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.

Mutually beneficial supplier relationships: An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.

Think about these eight principles as you grow your business. Then learn more about how to apply quality management principles to positively affect (impact) the day-to-day operations of your and other organizations in any industry. Our upcoming courses are a great place to start.

Posted in Quality Management Principles | Leave a comment