Doug -
ISO 9000 is a series of protocols agreed on
by the International Standards Organization
(the same outfit involved in the Java wars).
The ISO 9000 series involves quality control
procedures in manufacturing. There are
different levels of certification, involving
things like making sure there are clear
specifications for each job, that they are
properly displayed, that the operator is
properly trained. I think the operator has
to sign off on things like reading instructions
for his or her job or doing quality checks at
specified intervals according to specified
procedures.
ISO 9000 certifies that the production and
quality control process is up to snuff. My
understanding is that it gained momentum during
the buildup to European unification as a way
of standardizing standards across countries.
It seems to be increasing in importance in
the US in the last few years.
It matters, and seems to matter a lot, to
companies who want to make assertions about
production quality as vendors of parts or
machinery, as exporters or importers, as
partners in joint ventures. I did a number
of interviews with employers in and around
Boston a couple of years ago. Most of the
manufacturers were ISO certified or trying
to get certified. They seemed to think it
was necessary to be competitive. If it really
does affect a firm's competitive position - I
would guess that lenders would be taking an
interest in a firms's ISO status. It's one of
those things that the more it grows, the more
companies gotta have it and the more it grows.
Now, whether they follow the rubrics once they
get certified (and how much follow-up there
is), I don't know.
I also don't have a clear sense of what it means
to the workforce - quality procedures can be
just another part of the routine, they can be a
hassle, they can be an excuse for discipline. My
guess is that the affect ultimately depends on
how a company deals with its employees generally.
One thing I did get an anecdotal inkling of
(apologies to the anecdotally challenged) is that
around Boston, a lot of small and medium sized
manufacturers rely heavily on immigrant workers.
One of the ones I talked to had training videos
in 4 languages; most of them generally relied on
bilingual supervisors or team leaders to train
and supervise. Since ISO demands that each
employee read job descriptions and quality control
procedures, a couple of people mentioned that lack
of literacy in English was becoming a problem.
I was visiting in Louisville recently and GE at
Appliance Park was bragging in the company newsletter
about its ISO certification - while at the same time
threatening to shut most of Appliance Park down -
security is in the eye of the beholder.
Sears, which does not manufacture any of the products
in its Kenmore line itself, has a reputation for
very high quality standards and close oversight of
contractors. When I workd at GE in Louisville, the
company would try to get Sears contracts and win some
and lose some. Recently Sears revised its quality
program and the GE Appliances gas range factory in
Mexico was the first Sears supplier in the US and
Mexico to get certified under this program. According
to the September 97 GEA employee newspaper, the
"Sears quality program is far more rigid and has a
higher standard than ISO. [It] includes the first 20
elements for the ISO audit, plus four additional
components. It focuses on the total effectiveness
of the quality system."
The ISO 14000 series certifies (or will, I don't
know if the program is up and running yet) that
production methods meet certain environmental
standards. It's part of the corporate arsenal
against environmental regulation by gov't and
for self-regulation since compliance is voluntary.
Good to know your treks to the outback are
proving instructive.
-------Laurie
