A few days ago, I wrote about the basics of ISO 9001 -- both the standard and the certification/registration process. I got some comments on Linkedin about how useless ISO 9001 is. It is useless indeed in many manufacturing facilities I have visited, and the key reasons are: Poor implementation (because managers want to take shortcuts), combined with Inadequate auditing (lack of understanding of processes and of what is important, and lax enforcement of the standard by many registrar … [Read more...]
Basics about ISO 9001: The Standard and the Certification Process
How many of your suppliers claim to be ISO 9001 certified? Is it true? And, to start with, what does it mean? I want to shed some light on this topic. The purpose of the ISO 9001 standard is to "help businesses and organizations to be more efficient and improve customer satisfaction". How does it do that? First, what is a Quality Management System (QMS)? Basically, a QMS is what a company puts in place to ensure it meets its customers' requirements. Among others, it includes: … [Read more...]
How a Chinese Factory Can Get ISO 9001 Certified
I wrote before about the way certain consultants are routinely hired by manufacturers to “make paperwork look good”. It is the norm in China. However, some factory owners really want to manage their business in accordance with best practices. They are not looking for shortcuts. They understand that ISO 9001 is not very advanced but it is already a basis good basis -- if applied correctly -- on the road to operations excellence. So, how can consultants help a relatively small factory get … [Read more...]
Are there Many Fake ISO 9001 Certifications in China?
I saw several people mentioning fake certificates recently in the context of Chinese manufacturing. While I know there are many fake product certificates, I don't think there are many fake ISO 9001 certifications, or those for ISO 14001, or ISO/TS16949 for that matter. My point of view is simple. There are many registrars, and many “consultants” that “guarantee a pass” and that know which registrars are very lax. It means factories simply pay and get the certification. It is not much more … [Read more...]
Are ISO 9001 Certified Suppliers the Best in China?
Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. Quality Management Systems in China Explained Fredrik Grönkvist asked me the following questions about certifications to the ISO 9001 standard (and to other QMS standards): What is a Quality Management System and why is it relevant to importers? Is certification mandatory, or is it common that Chinese manufacturers implement a Quality Management System without obtaining the paper? How can you determine if the … [Read more...]
ISO/TS 16949: Great Improvements Over ISO 9001
Over the past few days, I have been learning a lot about the ISO/TS 16949 standard. We are working on the development of adequate auditing services to clients in the automotive industry. This "technical specification" (TS) goes much further than ISO 9001 and is closer to quality management best practices. So, can it be said to truly offer great improvements over ISO 9001? Let's explore... What is this TS about and where does it originate? As mentioned in a previous article, a car … [Read more...]