ISO Survey Shows Strong Growth in Registrations Each year, the International Organization for Standardization publishes The ISO Survey,
an annual snapshot of the state of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 registrations worldwide. This year, the 10th cycle (or annual issue) confirms what many industry insiders may have known all along: 2000 was yet another year of strong growth in registrations to standards of both the ISO 9000 and 14000 series.
According to ISO, the worldwide total of ISO 9000 certificates on Dec. 31, 2000, was 408,631, an increase of nearly 65,000 over the previous calendar year. Indeed, the 64,988 increase
betters all others in the survey's history except for that of 1999, when the number of registrations jumped 71,796. ISO 14000 registrations, which have only been included in
The ISO Survey since December 1995, also increased during 2000. At the end of the year, the worldwide total stood at 22,897, an increase of 8,791—the largest ever, And as the total
number of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certificates rose, so, too, did the number of countries that the two standards families permeated: ISO 9000 registrations have been issued in 158 countries
worldwide, and ISO 14000 has hit 98 countries. One set of statistics in The ISO Survey
composes a regional comparison. This year, Europe retains its first place with the highest number of ISO 9000 certificates. In 2000, 29,879 new certificates were issued in Europe. The
overall 2000 European total was 220,127 registrations, representing a regional share of 54 percent, compared to 83 percent in 1993. This indicates a growing interest in ISO 9000 registration in
other regions, which is particularly true of the Far East, a region that holds the next-highest regional share at 20 percent (which dwarfs the region's 1993 share of only 2.46 percent).
ISO 14000 registrations are also most popular in Europe and the Far East, which have regional shares of 48 percent and 34 percent respectively. ISO 9000 milestones in 2000 for
individual countries include Italy (which passed the 30,000 registrations mark); China and Japan (20,000); the Republic of Korea (15,000); Spain (10,000); Israel (5,000); and Romania, the Russian
Federation and the Philippines (1,000). ISO 14000 milestones reached in 2000 include Japan (5,000 registrations); Australia, Germany, Sweden and the United States (1,000); China, Denmark,
Finland, France, Italy, the republic of Korea and the Netherlands (500); and Argentina, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Singapore and South Africa (100). The 10th cycle of
The ISO Survey of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certificates is available free of charge and can be downloaded from ISO's Web site at www.iso.ch . The survey is also available on CD-ROM, which includes additional features (notably a country-by-country breakdown of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certification by industry sector). It can be obtained by e-mailing the ISO Central Secretariat at sales@iso.ch .
President's Quality Award Survives Again, for Now A
fter earning some bad press from the decision to scrap the President's Quality Award program, only to decide against that move just hours later, the Bush
administration (or, more specifically, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management) recently quietly announced that the program would remain, at least through 2002.
The Program's Awards Presidential Award for Quality: Winners demonstrate mature approaches to performance excellence that are well-deployed throughout their organizations.
They have documented world-class results and sustained performance improvement over several years. Award for Quality Improvement:
Winners demonstrate early positive approaches to performance excellence that are deployed throughout most of the organization. They have attained early preliminary positive results in important areas of their organization's business.
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The President's Quality Award program, managed by the OPM, recognizes federal organizations that have documented high-performing management systems and
approaches. The award criteria, which are based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, are updated every year to reflect the best approaches within the
public and private sectors to systematically improve organizational performance. The program aims to:  Recognize federal government agencies that improve their overall performance and capabilities. Winning organizations
demonstrate a sustained trend in providing high-quality products and services, resulting in effective use of taxpayer dollars.
Promote the sharing of the best management techniques, strategies and
performance practices among all federal government agencies as well as with state and local governments and the private sector Provide models for organizations to assess their overall performance in delivering
continuous value to customers
Provide a systematic, disciplined approach to deal with change by providing a framework or tool for conducting assessments, analysis, training and performance improvement planning
Applications for the 2002 President's Quality Award, which will soon be available from the OPM, are due no later than Jan. 9, 2002. For more information, visit www.opm.gov/quality .  Executives Value Professional Development Programs
When it comes to education, most executives believe the process shouldn't end at graduation. In a recent survey, 94 percent of polled chief
financial officers said it was valuable for businesses to invest in ongoing professional development for their employees. However, more than half (57%) of respondents indicated that
their company doesn't currently offer a formal training program. CFOs were asked, "How valuable is it for companies to invest in ongoing
professional development for their employees?" Their responses:
Very valuable 59% Somewhat valuable 35% Not at all valuable 4% Don't know/no answer 2% "Employees who continually sharpen their knowledge and skills bring fresh
perspectives, innovative business solutions and stronger leadership to their jobs, which can be a competitive advantage for their employers," says Max Messmer,
chairman and CEO of Robert Half International, the company that developed the survey.
Prison Becomes First to Achieve ISO 14001 Registration HM
Prison and Young Offender Institution-Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England has received ISO 14001 registration, making it the world's first correctional facility to do so.
Chamber Certificate Assessment Services audited HMP-Doncaster's environmental management system. The company will also receive recognition from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
"Environmental stewardship is important to the company, and achieving ISO certification exemplifies our commitment to environmental consciousness," says
George C. Zoley, vice chairman and CEO of Wackenhut Corrections Corp., which runs the institution. "As a global leader in the private correctional management
industry, we are extremely proud of what we have accomplished in the United Kingdom." HMP—Doncaster has twice achieved five-star ratings from the British Safety
Council and, in November 1999, was one of only 40 of the world's safest companies presented with the council's Sword of Honour, recognized as the pinna cle of achievement in the safety world for implementing systems that protect people, facilities and
equipment, and increase productivity and profitability. For more information, visit www.wackenhut.com/fr-wcc.htm .
Embracing Change Benefits Managers I
t's that old story about the two trees: One, which is able to bend when strong winds blow, is destined to survive; the other, which is sturdy yet rigid, is doomed to snap
in two upon the arrival of a fierce storm. In the world of a quality manager, however, the threat is from the strong winds of
change, whether they be in the form of an ever-shrinking supply of resources (e.g., personnel or budget); increasing demands from customers, upper management or
other stakeholders; or new challenges, such as having to implement a quality initiative that the executives invested in without consulting you.
"Yes, we're living and working in uncertain times, but life is uncertain," says Rex Gatto, author and founding president of Gatto Training Associates. "Change is the
law of the universe, so it makes sense to embrace the uncertainty or at least get comfortable with it. As a manager, the best thing you can do is keep your eye on the
future and take positive action toward your business goals." According to Gatto, the following tips can help you learn to bend: Deal with the situation as it is and develop alternatives. What obstacles must be overcome? Listen attentively to issues, concerns and ideas that others provide.
Accept the present while planning for the future. Forget the "I should haves." Utilize and build on existing strengths while planning.
Realize that change involves risk taking and flexibility.
Create a clear vision and direction for everyone to follow.
Learn how to handle employee resistance to change by honoring differing viewpoints, looking for areas of agreement, and being open and flexible to new ideas.
Gatto offers more tips on embracing change in his book, The Smart Manager's FAQ Guide (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2000). Errata
Quality Digest would like to apologize to the University of Texas at Austin, in whose Six Sigma Showcase text last month a typo was accidentally published. The
last subhead in that piece should have read, "UT Six Sigma Develops Leaders Who Will:" In the June 2001 Optical/Video Dimensional Measurement Systems guide, we inadvertently ran the incorrect resolution specifications for several Mitutoyo America
Corp. products. The following are the correct resolutions for these products:
- Product -- resolution
- PH-14LS -- 1 um
- PH-14SD -- 10 um
- Quick Vision Pro Series -- 0.1 um
- Quick Vision Pro II series -- 0.1 um
Quality Digest apologizes for the error. Have You Been Drafted Into a Lean Manufacturing Initiative?
Sequestered in a remote location for several days, each filled with 12 hours of intense
work, attendees of a new boot camp are warned that their complete attention and dedication are required and that the boot camp is not a country club. They're also
instructed not to sign up if they aren't ready for the challenge. All this and they don't even get a set of fatigues.
What attendees of this boot camp do get, however, is an intense training course in lean manufacturing. "Lean is inevitable," explains Lean Boot Camp Recruiting Officer
Elena Johnson. "The way that mass-production concepts dominated the 20th century, 'lean' thinking will dominate the 21st. Is there a company in the world that
doesn't recognize that it has to reduce waste and eliminate nonvalue-added activities in order to survive? Lean is not a standard or a program, but rather a business
operating philosophy that allows you to do more with less, maximizing the efficiency of the entire value stream."
But even given the sizeable gains lean can bring about, one has to wonder how such a bold warning like, "This course is not for wimps" constitutes a wise marketing
message. But, then again, LBC was launched in April 2000 with a clear effort to step away from traditional, boring and ineffective training seminars.
Lean Boot Camp is a self-proclaimed unique training environment dedicated to preparing managers for their new role as Lean Implementation Leaders. With more
than 50 hours of instruction, Lean Boot Camp aims to offer attendees the most comprehensive lean training program available. More than simply learning the basic
tools of lean manufacturing, LBC representatives report that their program's participants also undergo intense training in the disciplines of lean leadership, study
unique methodologies for creating successful teams, and examine powerful strategies for driving and maintaining change throughout their organization.
Just how sure is LBC about the effectiveness of its training? "Our guarantee is that the programs that our graduates implement will provide immediate benefit to their
company's bottom line," boasts the organization's Web site (www.leanbootcamp.com ).
"At LBC, we are very dedicated to the success of every participant, and their progress is monitored and reviewed on a daily basis," Johnson explains. "There's a
daily exam, and participants must score 75 percent or they fail the course. They are also marked on punctuality, attention and participation.
To learn more about Lean Boot Camp, including customized courses for multisite organizations, visit www.leanbootcamp.com or call (800) 924-2517.
Industry News
IOtech Inc. Acquires Zonic Corp.
IOtech Inc. has acquired Zonic Corp., which has been providing vibration measurement and analysis solutions for 25 years. Zonic's recent focus has been portable vibration
measurement products and software. Its vibration measurement products will add to IOtech's general-purpose data acquisition and
measurement solutions. In addition, Zonic's application-specific software will be further enhanced and adapted to complement IOtech's offering of vibration
measurement hardware. For further information, visit www.iotech.com .
DNV Accredited to AS9100
Det Norske Veritas Certification Inc. was recently awarded accreditation by the Registrar Accreditation Board to issue certificates to the aerospace standard AS9100. "Being approved for
the AS9100 standard marks an important milestone for our organization in serving the aerospace industry sector," says Roger Howe, general manager of DNV. "Along with our knowledgeable
audit staff, this demonstrates our commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations, and it reinforces our reputation as a worldwide leader in registration." For more information on
DNV, visit www.dnvcert.com . The Name Game: GKS, CEJohansson and Newport
Livonia, Michigan-based GKS Inspection Services Inc. will celebrate its 20th anniversary by announcing its new name, CEJohansson Metrology Services. "We are
excited to become part of CEJohansson and Newport Corp.," says Mohamed Abdelhafiz, director of metrology services for CEJohansso n. "Our service staff will provide post-sale service and support for vision systems and contact coordinate
measuring machines." For more information about the aforementioned companies (or the series of acquisitions and mergers that brought them together under one name), visit www.cejohansson.com . ASQ Names New National Director
The American Society for Quality has named Dennis Arter
as its new national director. Arter is an independent consultant and trainer specializing in government, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, research, aerospace
and food processing. Arter, an ASQ Fellow, also has more than 25 years of auditing experience. For more information, contact ASQ at (800) 248-1946 or visit www.asq.org .
RAB's Moving Day
The Registrar Accreditation Board has moved to its new location in downtown Milwaukee. Its new address, for express deliveries only, is 600 N. Plankinton Ave., Ste.
300, Milwaukee, WI 53203. The contact information that follows remains unchanged: P.O. Box 3005, Milwaukee, WI 53201; telephone (888) 722-2440; fax (414) 765-8661; e-mail rab@rabnet.com . For more information, visit www.rabnet.com .
Free Web-Based Quality Tools
Computer programs that help to analyze and organize data are now available free to
quality management professionals through the Internet. FreeQuality.org's content includes everything from X-bar charts to a Taguchi array selector to a fishbone
diagram generator to PowerPoint presentations on topics such as check-sheet applications, customer satisfaction surveys, fault-tree analysis, flowcharts, green
manufacturing, key business factors and training-needs assessment. Visit the site at www.freequality.org . |
