Value Added External Audits - Do External Audits add value to your system?

[Carl Keller]

Actually, ISO 9000 grew from a British standard for making ammunition.

Seems during WWII they had a problem with some shells being duds, and other blowing up in an unkind way toward the user.

It was meant to STANDARDIZE processes to maintain a consistent quality level. It had nothing to do with business or profit.

Carl-

 

[Denis9001 - 2007]

Partly right Carl.

The other problem was not enough shells (mortar shells). The focus was not so much on standardization or consistent quality but rather on saving resources. Why waste time, materials, money on subsequent manufacturing processes if a nonconformance already existed. And why deliver it to the frontline when the space it occupied could be used for a shell that actually worked. It goes without saying that duds and backfiring shells caused casualities and the enemy took the hill. And all for want of a shell.

By checking at every production step quality was assured, resources saved and we defended the hill, so to speak.

Makes you wonder. If the Brits had lost WW2 does that mean we wouldn't have ISO9001 and this forum.

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Actually, ISO 9000 grew from a British standard for making ammunition.

Seems during WWII they had a problem with some shells being duds, and other blowing up in an unkind way toward the user.
It was meant to STANDARDIZE processes to maintain a consistent quality level. It had nothing to do with business or profit.
Carl-

Actually , the ISO 9000 family of documents were preceded by the BS 5750 family of documents which were influenced by the NATO AQAP documents which were influenced by US Mil Standards. In the beginning, quality was managed simply as “conformance to requirements”, but it has evolved much beyond that. Nowadays, quality is perceived as part of the business management system and it is intimately connected with business performance and profitability. At least, it is ISO’s intention to make that connection. As some of us know, the 2000 version of the ISO 9000 family of documents have eight principles behind it. The first principle is customer focus. In this link ISO states the following:

Principle 1 Customer focus

Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.

Key benefits:

• Increased revenue and market share obtained through flexible and fast responses to market opportunities.
• Increased effectiveness in the use of the organization's resources to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Improved customer loyalty leading to repeat business.

Applying the principle of customer focus typically leads to:

• Researching and understanding customer needs and expectations.
• Ensuring that the objectives of the organization are linked to customer needs and expectations.
• Communicating customer needs and expectations throughout the organization.
• Measuring customer satisfaction and acting on the results.
• Systematically managing customer relationships.
• Ensuring a balanced approach between satisfying customers and other interested parties (such as owners, employees, suppliers, financiers, local communities and society as a whole).

 

[Denis9001 - 2007]

Basil and the ISO auditor

This thread and the building inspector example is starting to resemble a Fawlty Tower episode. I can picture it, John Cleese and the ISO9001 auditor.

Basil the ISO auditor is here

Ugh , what AGAIN, what does he want now

Now, be nice Basil

 

[Carl Keller]

Denis,

The Brits would never have lost the war. It would not have been "proper".

BS 5750 was a great start to an attempt at a useful tool. In my opinion, greed kept it from becoming as useful as it could be.

Thanks to both you and Sydney for the additional info.

Carl-

 

[Chrytonia]

I voted
Yes. An external audit has given me value above what I expected.
(if only to get this thread back on topic).

I don't fully understand the "lawn analogy" and since I didn't know jcbodie was an auditor in a previous thread, my apologies to both.

There have been numerous audits I have experienced where an external auditor's findings, and the methods used to audit, provided a value above what I felt I could have achieved through my own research. This usually comes from the vast experience they have had with other companies and the innovative methods those companies have used in complying with a requirement.

 

[harry]

The poll which was started in the year 2005 is now closed but discussions may proceed as usual.