Another myth about ISO-9000.Does it help you sell in Europe? What about here at home? Last month in this space I addressed three "myths" about the international quality standard known as ISO- iso- or is- pref. 1. Equal; uniform: isobar. 2. Isomeric: isopropyl. 3. 9000. I cited the testimony of a dozen plastics firms that have achieved ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. registration: They flatly refuted critics' claims that ISO-9000 doesn't help improve your quality, doesn't encourage continuous quality improvement, and costs more than its benefits justify. This month, I wish to debunk de·bunk tr.v. de·bunked, de·bunk·ing, de·bunks To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of: debunk a supposed miracle drug. another misconception mis·con·cep·tion n. A mistaken thought, idea, or notion; a misunderstanding: had many misconceptions about the new tax program. that you may have encountered. The (incorrect) argument goes as follows: ISO registration doesn't automatically qualify your product for European markets. Each European country has its own ISO-9000 review board, so receiving approval to sell in one country doesn't necessarily qualify you to sell elsewhere. To sell your products throughout Europe, you would have to submit to ISO-9000 review in each country, then redesign re·de·sign tr.v. re·de·signed, re·de·sign·ing, re·de·signs To make a revision in the appearance or function of. re the products and recertify re·cer·ti·fy tr.v. re·cer·ti·fied, re·cer·ti·fy·ing, re·cer·ti·fies To renew the certification of, especially certification given by a licensing board. your company to meet the requirements of each country. The first statement above is correct--but off the mark. ISO-9000 doesn't qualify products but rather a company's quality system. It's only a requirement if your customer wants it to be. And a growing number of customers both here and abroad are urging their vendors to get ISO registration. That's why most of the plastics processors, resin suppliers, and machine builders I interviewed pursued ISO registration in the first place. The same conclusion emerged from a recent survey of 620 North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. ISO-registered firms by the Atlanta accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. When asked what was their most important reason for seeking ISO registration, the largest number cited "customer demands/expectation." Another top reason was "market advantage (preferred supplier status)." The second statement in the "myth" above is also partly true. Each European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community country does have a government-funded ISO-9000 review board. However, these exist only to qualify the registrars that review other firms for ISO-9000 registration. These boards have nothing to do with certifying products. Some European governments do regulate certain items--medical devices and telecommunications equipment, for example. They may require evidence that those products were made in accordance with a well-documented quality system--such as ISO-9000. However, there is no question that ISO registration is "transportable" across borders. ISO registration is a matter solely between a vendor and a customer, not a government. How good a selling tool is ISO-9000? Deloitte & Touche asked registrants what were the top three "external benefits" of registration: 66% cited "improved customer satisfaction"; 69% said "competitive edge"; 22% said "increased market share"; and 76% said "higher perceived quality." |
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