Can any body advise on ISO 9001:2000? Textile Company

[Uteesh Dhar]

I am working as Processing Manager in a Textile Company here in Muscat Oman. Our Company is called as OMAN TEXTILE MILLS. We are in the business of manufacturing of fabrics of wear and furnishing fabrics too using raw material as yarn purchased from outside agency.

We are a small company employing 150 employees.

Recently due to business requirements our management wanted to go for ISO 9000:2000 registration. We have engaged a counselling company in Dubai.

I have been given the responsibilities of MR by my management. The management wants that the company should get certified by 15th Nove 2000 the national day of Oman. I have some queries:

1. Is it possible to get the certifucation in this short period?
2. Can some body help me in my duties?
3. Is it feasable for a small company like ours to go for ISO 9000:2000 in the first place? Should we go for ISO 9000:1994 first and then to 2000?

Regards

Uteesh


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[Laura M]

Generally, 2 months is not enough time. It would somewhat depend on the current systems.
Registrars typically require 3 months of data of a system which meets the requirements.
Someone else can answer whether you can even be audited to 2000 in Nov?

I had experience to obtain ISO 9002:1994 certification in nine months for a 1500 employee computer related company. Prior to the application for certification, we already had most the procedures in placed. Most of the time spend on training of employee, gather evidence and review current procedures.
I guess how fast you can get certified depends largely on how well you are ready and the minimum of evidence asked by the certifcation body. My experience was 3 months at the least.
As a MR, my previous experience was mainly co-ordinate with consultant to get the system in place, employees are trained and to ensure procedures are practiced through regular formal and informal audits.
This is my brief experience as a MR. Hope it help

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Thanks and Best Regards

lmfoong

[This message has been edited by lmfoong (edited 14 September 2000).]

It was my understanding that ISO 9000/2000 will not be released as an official standard until November. I believe that it is still classified at this time as an FDIS. You can check with your registrar or with ISO in Geneva for verification.

I agree with Laura that two months is not enough time to completely document a new system, provide the necessary training, implement the system and gather enough objective evidence to show the system is effective.

The general rule of thumb that I have heard is that you should be running your documented quality system for a minimum of three months prior to a registration audit.

Best Regards,

Jim

[Rick Goodson]

Let me add support to the replies you have been receiving. Two months is extremely short. In addition, ISO 9000:2000 is still a Final Draft International Standard (FDIS).

Another important consideration however should be why are you doing this. If the motivation is simply to register as a marketing tool, your probability of success will be lower, and your timeline for implementation will be much longer. My experience has been that organizations need to 'buy in' to the philosophy if they are going to be successful. Implementation does require documentation of the system, but documentation alone is not enough. The system must be a working, functional, quality management system

[Marc]

Also see Implementation_ISO9K.pdf in the pdf_files directory -- Elsmar Cove Free Files Directory

[barb butrym]

13 weeks was my shortest implementation from scratch. they did well...but boy did i earn my money on that one...as well as some hard lessons. They had a contract bid they would have been shut out on without registration so we attempted it. Some registrars will do a "fast track" and come back in 3 months instead of 6 if the data/evidence is on the light side...never needed to use it myself, but know of others who have in situations like that one.

if you have the elements of the system with records already in place...and all you need to do is document them...ya it can be done...but thats not likely if you are as confused as you seem......

if you do 9000.1994, 9000.2000 just comes as a matter of course as part of the surveilance visits, you can implement (improve/measure) as you go...if 9000.1994 was done correctly, 2000 falls into place pretty easily, if you do/did 9000.1994 for the paper thats another story...

so take your time and do it right.......so it adds value to the company

[This message has been edited by barb butrym (edited 16 September 2000).]