QMS & EMS London

In accordance with ISO directives, the members of ISO Technical Committee (TC) 176 initiated a systematic review of ISO 9001 in October 2011. The ballot choices for a systematic review are: withdraw, revise/amend, or confirm. The output of the global survey and of the task group meetings provided essential feedback to the participating members as they cast their votes. When the ballot closed in March 2012, the results were announced. The members of TC 176 had voted to revise/amend.  Having made the decision to revise ISO 9001, SC 2 began laying the foundation for the work ahead. This kind of revision project generally takes several years. A working group (WG 24) was established, requests went out to nominate experts to participate, and the new work item proposal was developed. 

As I said one month ago in my ISO 9001:2015 post, most people are aware that ISO 9001 is in the process of being revised, with a planned release date of some time in 2015. Reactions from users range from mild curiosity to extreme trepidation. ISO 9001 hasn't had a significant makeover since 2000, and a lot has changed in our world since then. Supply chains now routinely span the globe. Vast quantities of information can be transmitted virtually instantaneously. Environmental concerns are now incorporated into most organizations’ strategic plans. The evolution of ideas and technology has exploded and our ability to manage it all has become increasingly critical. It is in this tumultuous environment that the most popular standard ever published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is being revised.

Creaform Inc. helps companies seamlessly create, simulate, verify, and collaborate in 3-D, significantly enhancing their turnaround times and profitability. In addition to designing and selling its 3-D laser scanners/systems, 3-D digitizers, portable CMMs, dual camera sensors, and distributing other 3-D measurement systems and software, Creaform offers design and engineering services, reverse engineering, finite element analysis, 3-D and long-range scanning, inspection, training, and staff outsourcing. Leader in portable 3D measurement solutions and 3D Engineering Services, announces the installation of probing optical technology and noncontact 3D measurement systems at the BMW plant in Munich, Germany. The TRUaccuracy technology, which is integrated in all Creaform systems, was a key factor in the decision.

The global automotive industry is characterized by intense competition, a sharp focus on cost, and regulatory oversight. The ongoing trend is towards global sourcing and distributed manufacturing/assembly operations. These factors are driving the need for an extensible and flexible quality management system that automates field-level tasks and provides real-time visibility into all aspects of quality management across global manufacturing facilities and supplier locations.

Time warp: the clock is turning back in the watchmaking industry which is trying to cope with a resurgence in demand for traditional watches despite the advances made by quartz technology. The Swiss, still the world's leading watchmakers, believe there is a shortage of more than 26,000 traditional watchmakers worldwide thanks to the new popularity of mechanical watches. Traditional training schools in Switzerland were closed down when quartz technology took off so help is being sought from around the world.

What Can Cool Buildings In Full Sunlight Without Electricity? Homes and buildings chilled without air conditioners. Car interiors that don’t heat up in the summer sun. Tapping the frigid expanses of outer space to cool the planet. Science fiction, you say? Well, maybe not any more.

For years, executives have tried to create closed-loop environments where processes in each stage of the value chain benefit from cross-functional communication and collaboration. And for a number of reasons, this has proven difficult.  Over time, the rising complexity of products and processes has prompted many organizations to reconsider the effectiveness of current quality management capabilities and strategies and invest in emerging technologies to close the loop on quality management. 

First published in 1987, ISO 9000 has consistently been ISO’s most popular series of standards. Now, building on 26 years of success, ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, subcommittee SC 2, Quality systems, is busy laying the groundwork for the next generation of quality management standards.