The Standard AnswerThe myth of (only) six procedures
Tue, 11/09/2004 - 22:00
I was recently asked to write about the ISO 9001:2000 requirements that are still giving folks a hard time. Recent audits that I’ve conducted have led me to conclude that there are several clauses that continue to give us heartburn.
The issue that… The Standards AnswerDistributors in the supply chain
Sun, 10/10/2004 - 22:00
I’ve long been frustrated, both as an auditor and as a consultant, by the unique exemption most organizations extend to distributors. It’s a common practice for purchasing personnel to excuse distributors from the vendor qualification requirements… The Standards AnswerShow me the money!
Tue, 09/07/2004 - 22:00
Perhaps the single most pervasive reason top management resists the implementation of a quality management system relates to our failure, as quality professionals, to demonstrate the return on investment. We do a less-than-stellar job of… The Standard AnswerWatch out for all or never: Quality procedure documents should say what they mean and mean what they say.
Sun, 08/08/2004 - 22:00
There’s a marauding infestation of adverbs and adjectives that infiltrate the text of quality documents and operating procedures, wreaking havoc wherever they are found. The leader of this menacing bunch is called “All.” Among his compatriots you’ll… The Standard AnswerManaging exceptions to your QMS rules
Sun, 07/11/2004 - 22:00
We all love exceptions. They afford us unfettered permission to break the rules. They are the vehicles we use to get around “things”—whatever those things happen to be.
For those of us who attended elementary school in the sixties, the tradition of… The Standard AnswerDon’t do it! Avoid quality system errors of excess.
Mon, 06/07/2004 - 22:00
Do not ever, ever, do anything just to please an auditor. This is quickly becoming one of my new favorite mantras. For many individuals, this statement would seem to be self-evident, and yet there are instances when an organization has felt… The Standards AnswerCARs: When faster isn’t better
Mon, 05/10/2004 - 22:00
When is faster not better? In our warp-speed, 21st-century lives, getting the task completed on time--or ahead of time or before the competition--has become a goal in itself. We want this project done so we can move on to the next big thing. We tick…
