Exploding the Myths About ISO 9000

Colin Gray, President, Cavendish Scott

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9000 is an 11-page guide covering quality systems, especially with respect to goods and services delivered to customers. In other words, ISO 9000 compliance requires companies to adopt good business practices in areas that have an impact on customer satisfaction. Benefits include:

• better awareness of quality objectives
• better documentation
• better efficiency
• reduced waste and rework

Registering your company's quality system brings significant benefits, particularly on the international arena, since registration means that a third party has assessed your operations against ISO 9000 requirements and found that you've adopted good business practices. In addition, ISO 9000 requirements harmonize quite nicely with regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Union. So companies who already comply with these regulations are a long way toward compliance to ISO 9000 as well.

The process of attaining ISO 9000 certification is not only misunderstood, but often feared. Media coverage, hearsay, and business-related horror stories have all contributed to ISO 9000's threatening image.

If you believe the hearsay, you may also believe that ISO 9000 is an intrusive set of unrealistic and unwelcome rules and regulations that will make doing business unbearably difficult in the short run and moderately difficult forever thereafter.

This is not the case. In this paper we will examine and refute many of the common myths about ISO 9000. As you read on, keep in mind that ISO 9000 was designed to help standardize business practices across the globe, making it possible to do business more predictably and more efficiently. Also remember that a good ISO registrar has "seen it all" and has probably witnessed or experienced virtually all of the potential pitfalls, as well as simple ways to avoid them.

We invite your interest and your feedback. And we hope that the information that follows will help make your road to ISO 9000 interesting, beneficial, and even enjoyable.

Myth #1: "ISO 9000 is an intensely complex set of rules and regulations."
Wrong. The actual document explaining ISO 9000 is quite short—only a few pages long, in fact. The key is in the interpretation. If the ISO 9000 directive is interpreted properly, the result can be a streamlining of existing systems and a noticeable improvement in day-to-day business operations.

Myth #2: "Fulfilling the requirements for ISO 9000 means lots and lots of documentation."
Again, it's all a matter of interpretation. Proper interpretation of the standard will result in an optimum amount of documentation—neither more nor less than what is actually needed to run your business effectively and achieve certification.

Myth #3: "To get certified, we'll have to completely redesign our systems."
Not so. In fact, the more common mistake companies make when seeking certification is to change systems that were fully workable and, for the most part, already in compliance with the standard. Changes may, in fact, be implemented as part of the certification process—but only if they constitute an improvement in the way business is being done.

Myth #4: "We'll have to hire an ISO 9000 project manager."
It's likely that you will not. Achieving certification will, of course, require internal time and manpower to get the system up and running, but if properly designed, it should not require any additional personnel to keep it running. In some cases, companies do choose to bring in an outside consultant for the period up until registration, since it leaves internal personnel free to concentrate on the activities for which they were hired.

Myth #5: "We'll be required to have every work order, every purchase order, every piece of paper, signed and dated."
The standard says nothing about this. It only requires that you identify who is responsible and accountable for key business activities, a procedure generally considered part of any firm's basic practices.

Myth #6: "All of our storage facilities must now be locked or bonded."
The standard only refers to appropriate storage facilities. Nowhere does it refer to bonded stores. The intention is merely to require safekeeping of the stored product in order to assure the quality of those goods. How this is interpreted will depend on the type and sensitivity of the product in question.

Myth #7: "Now we'll have to limit our suppliers to those who are ISO 9000 certified."
This is true only if your customer requires that you use certified suppliers. If, as the standard requires, you have identified and documented acceptable suppliers, you may continue to work with them, certified or not.

Myth #8: "We have to have statistical process control in place before we can get registered."
Although SPC is a good idea, the standard makes no such statement. It is only requires that you decide whether or not to implement SPC, and if you do, to manage it properly.

Myth #9: "We'll have to implement full lot traceability."
This is generally not the case. The standard states simply that full lot traceability is required where applicable. For companies who supply to the military, it would probably be applicable; for those who supply to a household hardware manufacturer, it may not.

Myth #10: "You can be ISO 9000 registered and still produce poor quality products."
ISO 9000 is intended as a mechanism for satisfying customer requirements, which is what determines quality in this case. Any company that chooses not to satisfy customer requirements is also choosing to ignore the principles of ISO 9000. The registration process cannot and does not stop them, but the free enterprise system will soon send their customers elsewhere.

Myth #11: "The process will be extremely expensive."
On the contrary, it doesn't have to be expensive. Costs will depend, of course, on the size and complexity of the company and number of locations, but a common sense approach will save you money. If you are well-organized internally and choose your registrar and your consultant (if you use one) very carefully, you can expect literally thousands of dollars in cost savings.

For more information: Colin Gray, President, Cavendish Scott Inc., 2480 W26th Ave., Suite 135B, Denver, CO 80211. Tel: 303-480-0111. Fax: 303-480-9000. Email: colingray@cavendishscott.com.