BISM Pursues ISO 9000 Quality Management Standard
By: JoAnna Smith

On June 29, 2001 the decision was made to join the Maryland ISO Consortium Program to aid in the implementation of a formal Quality Management System. The consortium program aids Maryland companies in developing and implementing a Quality System that conforms to the ISO 9000 Quality Management Standard. Groups of participating companies are brought to the point of readiness to have their individual Quality Systems certified and registered by third party Registrars. This is accomplished primarily through each company's individual efforts with the help and mutual assistance of all participating companies.

Representatives from many different countries designed the ISO 9000 standard and each member country has representatives that make up a Technical Advisory Group (TAG). These groups draft the standard, then members comment and vote on the standard. The document then becomes an ISO standard. The standards are a method of getting a set of criteria for quality management systems. A registrar from an outside agency will than audit to see if you have all the required elements in place. If you do, you will get ISO 9000 registration. This registration tells others all over the world that you have this quality system in place.

In general, Blind Industries will be following an eighteen-month implementation process with the Arnold Cade ISO Consortium to document a formal quality management system, which is documenting the way we do business with continual improvement. The Steering Committee has been established and consists of the directors of each division. The selection of Lead Assessors (Auditors) who will guide the internal auditors through the auditing process has begun. We have attended several meetings and will be calling upon each of you to help in the process of improving our company.

back to Grapevine Index