QS and ISO Sister Companies Joining?

[Idotson]

I am the QS-9000 Management Rep. for a large job shop. We got registared late in 1997, and our sister company just received thier ISO registration last year. The president just announced yesterday that the two companies are going to be joined come July. Our registar has already scheduled audits for both companies in June, it the December audit I'm concerned with. I'm not sure we can get the two quality system combined in 6 months.

Do I have any options?

 

[Russ Jackson]

Develop a tentative plan for consolidating the two quality systems into one scope, including timetables for accomplishment. Discuss the tentative plans with the Registrar and get input from their perspective. The registrar should be willing to work with you on this to achieve a conclusion within reasonable time under the circumsances that is satisfactory to both parties.

 

[Tom Goetzinger]

Does "joinging" mean coming together in one location, or only as two locations for one company?
If you are going to continue to operate in separate locations, you can choose to maintain separte registrations for as long as it is beneficial to your company.
If you are combining into one location, talk to your registrar with at least a general plan for combining the systems, as Russ suggested.

 

[Idotson]

The two companies are divided only by short hallway. Until resently the only thing the two companies shared was the President, H.R., Purchasing, and Maint. Deptments. Each company had it own Quality, Engineering, and Manufacturing Managers, as well as it own quality manual.

I sent basically the same question to or registrar last week. He suggested that we, "start integrating the manuals into a single manual with calrification as to which areas will be expected to meet QS requirements, assuming not all lines will be managed to the same higher requirements." I've heard of this before, but it seems that with the revision of ISO it will become increasing harder to have some line QS and some ISO. Doesn't this send a false message to your customers? Yes, we're QS registred, but we'll only do the extra QS requirements if you ask. If your going to hang a QS registred banner on the front of you building, shouldn't every line in that building meet the requirement? Maybe the banner should state, "QS registred, on request."