Comparison of Microsoft Office 2003 with Microsoft Office 2007

Lots of people have Microsoft Office 2003 and are interested in upgrading to Microsoft Office 2007. However, there are lots of differences between the two although they are the same program with different edition years. As a result, anyone with Microsoft Office 2003 should keep on reading to learn about some of the differences of Microsoft Office 2007.

One of the changes is the digital signature. For instance, if you are in Microsoft Office 2007 training you will learn that with this edition the digital signature is formatted with XMLDSig, which is different than what you learned in Microsoft Office 2003 training. Also, the Microsoft office training courses will teach you that in Office 2007 you will find the digital signature under File, Finalize Document, Signatures rather than in Tools, Options, Security, Digital Signatures. The digital signatures were changed to be more intuitive and easier to find.

Another change that you will learn about in all of your Microsoft office training programs is that the add in tool for Office 2003 was removed. It was replaced by a document inspector that can run multiple times at once which makes it easer to clean up documents.

In Microsoft Office 2007 there is now some versioning offered. Before in Microsoft Office 2003 you could only enable or disable versioning, but now versioning numbers are included and numbers such as 3.3 may be used as well as whole numbers like 3.

Another change that exists in Microsoft Office 2007 that is different from Microsoft Office 2003 is that Windows Rights Management Client v. 1.0 is no longer supported. A new client version of Windows Rights Management Client SP1 is used in Microsoft Office 2007 and the new version is easy to install and no change is seen when the new version is installed.

Yet another change that occurred is the Send for Review feature that could be found in Microsoft Office 2003 under File, Send to, Mail Recipient (for review). These entry points do not exist in Microsoft Office 2007.

There are of course many other changes that occur in Microsoft Office 2007 that Microsoft Office 2003 users must learn and get accustomed to. However, there are not so many that users who upgrade will have too difficult of a time converting.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. One of the changes is the digital signature. For instance, if you are in Microsoft Office 2007 training you will learn that with this edition the digital signature is formatted with XMLDSig, which is different than what you learned in Microsoft Office 2003 training. Also, the Microsoft office training courses will teach you that in Office 2007 you will find the digital signature under File, Finalize Document, Signatures rather than in Tools, Options, Security, Digital Signatures.

Parity Training becomes one of the first to be accredited to deliver the ITIL? related ISO 20000 consultancy course

ISO/IEC has just released ISO/IEC 20000 as the new international IT service management standard, providing documents that IT organizations can use to get certification that they conform to those requirements.

The new standard is aligned with and complementary to the process approach defined within the IT infrastructure library (ITIL); qualified auditors can now assess organizations' ITIL conformance.

Published by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), ISO/IEC 20000 will enable organizations to benchmark their capability in delivering managed services, measuring service levels and assessing performance.

Parity Training has become an Accredited Course Provider to deliver the ITIL? related ISO 20000 consultancy course. This means that Parity are competent and positioned to help organizations gain the consultancy skills and knowledge required to move towards gaining ISO20000.

Within the last eight months nearly 700 people world-wide have gained the consultancy qualification and more than forty companies are now ISO20000/BS15000 accredited. Many Government and Private sector organizations require their existing and potential IT service providers (internal and external) to be ISO20000 certified.

Parity's customers that already have accreditation, include: BT Global Services, ATOS, EDS and CSC.

"As ITIL adoption increases worldwide, IT process compliance will become the basis for discussions between IT organizations and business users, outsourcing providers, and clients and Parity Training is well positioned to help its customers achieve business results. We are delighted to be among one of the first training providers to offer our clients these skills that will help towards certification" says Ebi Zadeh, Managing Director, Parity Training.

About Parity:
Parity, uniquely for its size, offers a full range of IT services including;

Business process consultancy
Change management training
Management training
Technology training
IT Service Management training
Development and management of complex IT systems
Oracle and Microsoft technology and application skills
Permanent and temporary IT staff
Resource process outsourcing

Major companies include:

Alcatel, Allianz, AT&T, British American Tobacco, CISCO, Department for Education & Skills, Department for Work & Pensions, Glaxo Smith Kline, HBOS, Hewlett Packard, HM Revenue & Customs, HSBC, IBM, ICI, Ministry of Defence, NASA, Connecting for Health at the NHS, O2, Perot Systems, Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Mail, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, The Cabinet Office, The Meterological Office, and T-Systems.

Contact details:

For more information, visit Parity or contact Gina Cannon (g.cannon@parity.net)

A Definition and a Comparison Copyright 2004, Michael La

The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing as an alternative for the aspiring author. It has its strengths and its weaknesses. You may wonder as you begin reading this, but in the end I'm going to say some good things about it.

To a large extent, the title explains the technology. The way that literature has traditionally been printed involves running many copies simultaneously in order to bring the price per copy down. Smaller print runs, such as advertising brochures or concert programs, cost more per copy because they are small print runs. Until recently, printing a single book was all but unthinkable.

In the case of novels, the traditional print publisher begins by publishing several thousand copies. His goal is to run off the smallest number of copies he can while getting the best possible price per copy.

These books are then sent to bookstores, which tend to prefer something along the lines of what has succeeded before. The remainder sits in a warehouse somewhere. Perhaps to be shipped as the orders come in, perhaps to be joined by any "remaindered" copies the bookstores couldn't move.

This represents an investment on the part of that publisher, hence his paranoia about experimenting with new formats or (more importantly) new authors.

Print-On-Demand (POD), as the name implies, uses a completely different process. The end result is, the price per copy on a small run is much lower. How small of a run? Try one book. Zero inventory. The book is economically produced when the reader orders it, not before.

This technology was probably invented for sales literature. Then someone realized it might be a pretty cool way to get ARCs (Advance Review Copies) out to the book reviewers before the book was actually available. Finally, someone decided to get it into the publishing mainstream.

Why is it so much cheaper to publish a single book via POD? The reasons really aren't relevant to this article, besides which they'd probably bore you. But if you care, the first link below spells it all out.

http://www.jdwrite.com/writing/pod_01.htm http://www.jdwrite.com/writing/pod_02.htm http://www.jdwrite.com/writing/pod_03.htm http://www.jdwrite.com/writing/pod_04.htm http://www.jdwrite.com/writing/pod_05.htm

I recommend reading (or at least skimming) all five of those, by the way. It's quite a comprehensive analysis of how. Then come back to this article to determine why. Or if.

Have you ever heard of the author who self-published and wound up with a best-seller? They do exist!

Now look at all the self-published authors who couldn't do that. They're the vast majority. The author who uses POD could be facing similar long shot odds.

(Keep reading. I'll say good things about POD eventually.)

POD has a definite advantage over self-publishing, in that you don't wind up with a few hundred (or more?) copies of a book in your basement because you can't sell them. Thus, it's cheaper, with no difference in quality unless you hook up with losers.

But neither option will bring you the readership that you'll get from a successful book with a traditional print publisher.

I have self published. I went to a local print shop back in the pre-POD days, ran off 80 copies at $3 a copy, and sold them to local bookstores for $6 a copy. Lots of fun, and lots of learning, but I didn't get rich. My wage per hour stunk, but that was fine with me because I honestly didn't care. I broke even and gave away the rest. A pleasant way to spend lunch hours during the work week.

Most of us, though, just don't have that kind of time. And even if we do, why bother? Take the money you'd have invested and buy some Microsoft stock, then take the time you'd have invested and write more books. You'll be happier and you'll make more money.

Having said all that, why am I recommending POD at all? In my case, it's because I've written some books that no print publisher will ever pick up. That's my honest appraisal.

If I were a mercenary type, I'd follow that up with something like "Why'd you even write those books then?" But if you are a REAL writer, you know the answer.

It's always about writing first, marketing second. Two different hats. I'm assuming you already did the writing and now are wondering what the heck to do with it.

As an example, my EPPIE 2002 finalist is too short. I wrote it back when print publishers wanted 40,000 words. Now they want 50,000. But it doesn't take 50,000 words to tell that particular story, and I'm not padding it. Even if I were willing, it'd stink and nobody would buy it. Give the publishers some credit. They know padding when they see it. The same goes for the readers.

As another example, consider my short story collection. Critically acclaimed and selling moderately well, but no traditional publisher wants short story collections from unknown authors. It's just that simple.

So, I simultaneously published these books in e-book form and POD form. E-books are cheaper and more environmentally friendly, but the paperback option is still there for those who can't or won't ever read an e-book.

(Daddy is in that group, by the way. How about your family?)

Places who publish only POD began by accepting anything sent their way. Pay your money, and do your own editing and marketing. This gave POD a credibility problem. There are POD outfits who don't operate this way, but the credibility problem will take time to heal.

As an author, your goal is to write what's in your heart, find people who like to read what you like to write, and get it out to them. (That's my goal, anyway.) If your name happens to be Tom Clancy, that equals many readers. But that's simply luck of the draw.

Many of us don't have such mass appeal. Possibly you're the sort of writer who knows exactly where you stand in that respect. But many don't, and they're flooding the POD market with stuff that most readers just plain don't want. Add to that the badly edited stuff, and the credibility problem with POD is understandable.

Ideally, what you want is for your e-publisher to simultaneously release your book in both formats without charging a POD setup fee. That way, you can direct all your promotional efforts to that single URL. However, these e-publishers have a real problem with backlog now, so if you want to travel the road I did, you'll need much more patience than I did.

Taking advantage of a free POD option with your e-book will also help your promotional efforts. Many reviewers just plain won't touch an e-book. If you've done the POD bit, in addition to being able to tell all your friends and family, "Look at this, I'm a real author because here's the paperback," you'll be able to send review copies via POD to those book reviewers.

(I told my friends and family to kiss my butt, but I'm just a crochety old cuss.)

If you find yourself with an e-publisher who doesn't offer free POD, you may wish to shop around for a POD publisher. As you do this, remember the business model. If a publisher makes all its money from writers, it doesn't need to sell a single book to a single reader to stay in business.

No matter how much praise they send your way, that's the bottom line. Writing is a calling, but publishing is a business. Those authors who can't distinguish between the two are what keep the opportunists in business. (I was such an author for most of my life.)

Some POD places are no more than thinly veiled vanity (or subsidy) presses. They have a valuable role to serve, but let's be honest. Most do no editing, and they don't care. They may not be making a massive profit from your setup fees, but they're certainly making enough to stay in business. Even if you don't sell any books to anyone except your Gramma.

(A few new POD places help with marketing and charge no fees of any kind. I've been told http://www.bewrite.net is such a place, but have yet to visit it.)

Earlier, I recommended e-publishing before print publishing for the free editing you'll receive. If you're going with POD, consider it mandatory. Either that, or pay an editor. The author who can write a mistake-free manuscript does not exist.

Still interested in POD publishing? I've done it, by the way, and it worked out well. Here are the questions you should ask yourself when you select a POD publisher:

A) Sale price of each book
1) Who decides what it is?
2) Will readers pay that much for your book?

B) Profit per sale vs. your setup cost 1) How many copies must you sell to break even? 2) Can you do it?
3) If not, do you care? How big of a financial hit are you willing to take just to see your name in print?

As a rule, US$100 or less setup cost is good and US$1000 is very bad. The latter, no matter how much publicity they promise you, is only a thinly disguised vanity publisher. You will not sell enough books to recoup that $1000 unless you are a real marketing machine. Even then you shouldn't pay the $1000 up front. Pay $100 or less and then sell all those books. $1000 or more won't get you anything that $100 or less won't.

A comprehensive list of POD publishers, along with descriptions, can be found on-line at http://dehanna.com/database.htm

The site mentioned fails to mention Booksurge (http://www.booksurge.com), also known as Digitz (http://www.digitz.net), and Publish America (http://www.publishamerica.com). The first charges US$99 and the second is free.

Another that isn't mentioned is Digital Print Australia at http://www.digitalprintaustralia.com. I've used them before. My setup cost was AUD$35 (roughly US$18), which compares rather favorably to those listed.

Their price per copy is also excellent. The quality is at least as good as what you'll find in the bookstores. If you've ever bought a paperback from Writers Exchange E-Publishing, you've seen it already. If not, Digital Print will send you a free sample. They sent mine to China.

Two problems you may have with them, though, are shipping charges from Australia if that's not where your readers are located, and the fact that they don't offer a way to sell the books on their site.

For selling the books, I used the Book Store feature on Authors Den (http://www.authorsden.com) back when it was free. It offers a secure server. I know some authors who I trusted enough to send money to without a secure server. But I suspect that most of your prospective readers won't know you that well. In fact, they won't know you at all.

Another option is the shopping cart feature at PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/refer/pal=BH2CTDYDK8RPW), which I haven't researched. But take a look. You oughta have PayPal anyway, because it lets people send you money or vice versa through email, absolutely free. They'll give you $5 just for signing up.

If the POD place only prints "trade paperbacks," which are the larger ones, your cost per book (and sale price per book) will be higher than if you can print "mass-market paperbacks." The choice is yours, but whatever you decide, visit the local bookstores and price similar-sized books. If you write like Stephen King but charge twice as much per book, readers are going to buy the author they've heard of, and that's probably not you. Yet...

Michael LaRocca's website at http://freereads.topcities.com was chosen by WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. He published two novels in 2002 and has two more scheduled for publication in 2004. He also works as an editor for an e-publisher. He teaches English at a university in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter Mad About Books.

ISO 9000 Production

Many industries and governments depend on ISO 9000 production standards these days. ISO 9000 production standards guarantee that all products are of a consistently high quality.

Although the ISO production standards are still voluntary, lots of companies are using them as a standard when targeting foreign markets which require environmentally-safe products. The ISO 9000 production departments assure the quality of all equipment shipped.

ISO 9000 production standards basically have three requirements. First, the business should document the quality system and business process in detail. Second, the business should make sure that each employee understands and follows the guidelines stated by the documentation. Third, the documented quality system should be continuously monitored through internal and external audits, and updated when required.

ISO 9001 ensures quality assurance in design, production, installation and servicing for manufacturing businesses that design and make their own products. ISO 9002 is employed in contractual arrangements when specified needs are declared in terms of established design or specifications. ISO 9003 needs a dealer to demonstrate its capability to detect and control the disposition of any product nonconformity during final check and testing. ISO 9004 sets a standard for an organization's internal quality management.

ISO 9000 production standards consist of a total of 20 elements (sections) that explain what a company has to do in order to show that it is abiding by ISO 9000 rules. Each element should be clearly and completely documented.

Many company owners find that ISO 9000 production is an invaluable marketing tool to alleviate the problems of TQM (total quality management). But a very few also see it as an unnecessary bureaucratic boondoggle.

ISO 9000 provides detailed information on ISO 9000, ISO 9000 Standards, ISO 9000 Software, ISO 9000 Consulting and more. ISO 9000 is affiliated with Home Inspections.

ISO 9000 Vicarious Liability

ISO 9000 is an enormously successful international quality management system set by the international standards organization. Apart from helping in designing a quality assurance system, ISO 9000 also imposes many liabilities and responsibilities on the part of business organizations.

ISO certification can guard organizations against corporate vicarious liability. Vicarious liability refers to the legal responsibility (accountability) of an employer for the actions, crime or injury done by one of his employees in the course of discharging duties. Crimes that come under the purview of vicarious liability include fraud and theft, defamation, breach of confidence and data protection, and discrimination based on race and gender.

ISO 9000 vicarious liability processes help firms reduce risks. The extent of liability depends upon the relation between the nature of the employment and the crime that has been committed. When the two are connected closely enough, the employer can be held liable.

Common forms of vicarious liabilities include employers' vicarious liability, principals' vicarious liability, and the liability of corporations in tort. Consider, for example, principals? liability. In this case, the owner of a car is vicariously liable for the rash and negligent driving of the driver. The owner is the principal and the driver is his employee. Laws have been reluctant to extend this liability to the owners of some other kinds of chattel. For instance, the owner of an airplane is not vicariously liable for a pilot?s misdeeds.

A business can operate only through the actions and deeds of its employees and agents. Therefore, it is important to decide to what extend vicarious liability will apply to hold a business liable for the frauds of its directors or other officers. ISO 9000 certification provides a clear description of such situations.

ISO 9000 provides detailed information on ISO 9000, ISO 9000 Standards, ISO 9000 Software, ISO 9000 Consulting and more. ISO 9000 is affiliated with Home Inspections.

Six Sigma Vs ISO 9000

The debate over whether or not to choose Six Sigma over ISO 9000 is getting more interesting with each passing day. In an attempt to determine which of these is the better of the two, it is highly pertinent to discuss that in the context of applicability of them to industries. And there exists a huge amount of difference between the approaches of these two methodologies in tackling the issues.

Six Sigma - A Critical View

Six Sigma utilizes a multi-faceted approach to doing business with total improvement of the end product being the goal. In doing so, Six Sigma defines and analyzes the processes critically almost always focusing on process improvements. The statistical tools used in Six Sigma help not just in the adoption of processes but are also critical tools of Six Sigma implementation.

Process Development Stages

Let us examine the above statement as applicable to a process for easier understanding. While working on process improvement, the Black Belts break up the original sequence of different events that comprise the entire process and each event is further subdivided internally. This enables the "belts" to take an entirely different view of the process via the entire process as a whole. The powerful statistical tools employed at this stage of evaluation make the picture clearer and help the "belts" to arrive at decisions about the value additions those made to the process by different events.

This principle obviously goes beyond standardizing the processes and setting the pathway for being vigilant about adherence to the Six Sigma methodology. Useless values which have lost meaning make way for more meaningful events and eventually more robust and comprehensive processes. In a Six Sigma environment, customer demands will assume a key role in driving the processes towards aligning all activities with the vision of the leader of the company. The approach is "how to" rather than "what to" deliver.

The ISO 9000 Approach

The ISO approach towards quality management concentrates on standardization of the activities of production. The eight quality principles of ISO 9000, along with its twenty-four requirements outline business processes. The emphasis here is on the control of events in each aspect of doing business by documenting evidence and reports. The eight principles of ISO 9000 include prioritizing customer data, purchasing and quality systems, among other critical aspects. ISO 9000 recognizes each process, whose end goals are the same, as an independent entity. Documented quality requirements typically decide, based on set rules, whether or not a particular process adhered to that standard.

Document and Process Control

Maintenance of quality is achieved by adhering to key process and document control. Operating procedures and process control documents restrict deviations outside the concepts of what you should be doing in every process. What-you-should-be-doing is given emphasis under standard conditions rather than dealing with process improvement.

Stalwarts in industry are examining the possibility of merging the best practices of the two. Several industry leaders have already acknowledged the benefits of using both methodologies to compliment each other. Another view is that, as Six Sigma implementation is what you do within your company (unlike the certification in ISO) the company does not get recognition for achieving successful Six Sigma implementation. However, as long as the culmination of a business activity is defined by both methodologies as retaining and improving the customer base along with maximizing the bottom line, rejection of one in favor of other will be hard to justify.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts

ISO 9001 Software

Companies that need quality management systems realize that products like ISO 9001 software are important tools to insure their product safety, consistency and profitability. Using ISO 9001 software can help guarantee that any company can monitor productivity, customer satisfaction and product quality with reports that contain solid information. This information is now vital to management in order for maximum efficiency in any industry. This is why ISO 9001 software is vital to any sized company. Continuous improvement means continuous profitability. Here are just a few reasons why:

o Companies increase sales because of better performance, quality, and delivery. This propels you ahead of your competition.

o ISO 9001 software helps retain employees and attract more highly qualified employees because they are assured of a controlled and consistent work environment.

o The experience of a more professional workplace boosts employee morale.

o Reduced operating costs dramatically increase your company's productivity, leading to higher profitability.

o Customer satisfaction and higher profitability expand your market share and demand for your consistently higher product quality.

o When you're compliant or certified to the appropriate standard, the businesses that work with you know that quality objectives, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction are your goals. Many companies require that their suppliers are ISO 9001 compliant; therefore, once you're certified, your opportunities increase.

ISO 9001 software has be utilized and has developed experience of helping manufacturing, service, and distribution organizations to be more efficient and more profitable through continuous improvement programs. We help you to implement the time-tested methods of continuous improvement to measure performance, analyze data, and apply the appropriate process changes. This includes using ISO 9001 software.

ISO 9001 software also offers a suite of modules to enable you to manage the document management and ISO 9001 Compliance Management process. These modules enable complete transparent system measurement with targeted action items ensuring all persons are notified of tasks and carry them out in a prompt and efficient manner.

ISO 9001 software provides training in there software and also bring extensive experience in implementing the ISO 9001 software in various environments.

Training Options There are also three other ways ISO delivers training to help companies comply with industry standards:

1. Full training program help for administrators of our ISO 9001 software program at your location this training includes full orientation to our document management, corrective action calibration records , training records and numerous other features of our software 2. General users training to assist users in the company in utilizing the ISO 9001 software system in there day to day environment for document management and responding to action items. 3. Upgrade training program help for companies who experience personnel turnover to bring the new person up to speed on the ISO 9001 software system. 4. Overview seminars providing orientation sessions for those new employees or those new to the software

The ISO 9001 software comes from extensive experience introducing effective and affordable quality management systems to a wide variety of industries and service organizations. Numerous companies who have worked with us reap the benefits of increased profitability, enhanced customer relations, elevated employee morale, and increased sales. Clients enjoy our flexibility in organizing the process around their needs and their schedules. We have a proven track record of success and customer satisfaction.

Learn More at: www.interaxgrp.com

Becky King is a well respected software reviewer who lives in California with her family and two dogs.

ISO 9000 – Management Systems for Business Success

ISO 9000 is a management system produced by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The purpose of the ISO 9000 is the improvement of the efficiency and productivity of organizations. Businesses use ISO 9000 to make sure they consistently satisfy customers, and comply with their industry’s regulations.

Systems are often the last things on the minds of small business owners. Instead of organized processes, most small businesses rely on the expertise of staff and owners and their ability to communicate that expertise to each other. Unfortunately, individual skills and relationships don’t scale – as businesses grow, those that don’t have a management system become inconsistent, chaotic and inefficient.

Developing management systems is something all successful businesses have to do. Unfortunately, most organizations come up with systems in isolation from everybody else. Not only is this “re-inventing the wheel” but it also means that they can’t take advantage of management best practices.

ISO 9000 is an international, generic management system that can be applied to service and product oriented businesses, as well as public administrations and government departments. It allows organizations to take advantage of the latest models for setting up and running a management system.

ISO 9000 improves:

Customer Satisfaction – by focusing on improving what the organization does to provide value for customers, ISO 9000 promotes consistent high-level quality.

Efficiency – by concentrating on how processes provide quality to customers instead of simply the final product, ISO 9000 improves organizations’ efficiency.

Marketing – because ISO 9000 is an internationally recognized standard, using it communicates quality and reliability to customers and partners.

Employee Motivation – by establishing a consistent, comprehensive set of rules and procedures, ISO 9000 ensures that employees know exactly what their responsibilities are and how to fulfill them.

International Trade – because ISO 9000 is an internationally developed management system, adopting it significantly simplifies their relationship with organizations in other countries.

The ISO itself does not provide ISO 9000 certification. Instead, organizations can obtain certification from third party auditors. Certification is not required, and even businesses that choose not to go to the expense of having a formal audit can benefit significantly from implementing ISO 9000.

For more information see the International Organization for Standardization website or the Industry Canada ISO 9000 checklist.

Nigel Fogden is an English teacher and writer with 24 by 5 Tech Comm, a technical writing company that specializes in fast, high-quality writing and editing. For more articles on writing, technology and business, sign up for the 24 by 5 Tech Comm Newsletter at http://www.24by5.com and stop by our blog at http://www.24by5.com/wordpress/

 

How to Formulate your Quality Policy Statement and Quality Objectives in your ISO Quality Manual

When embarking on a new quality management system and writing a new quality manual for your organization, one of the most important decisions to make is how your quality policy statement should read. A quality policy statement is a requirement of an ISO9001:2000 quality management system, and can be regarded as the general guiding philosophy of your company or organization.

If you compare guiding a company to steering a ship, the nautical equivalent of a quality policy statement might be something like "We are going to sail to New York". This is a general statement of the overall goal. In your company's quality manual, you might say something like "Our goals are to achieve 100 percent customer satisfaction, constantly innovate in our products, and continually improve in all our activities". How can you steer the ship if you don't know where you want to go?

The quality objectives you choose to include in your quality manual, on the other hand, are the nuts-and-bolts, day-to-day objectives that will show how you are doing in regards to your overall goal. Quality objectives are also a requirement of an ISO9001:2000 quality management system, and must be included in your quality manual.

Depending on the size and complexity of your organization, I recommend that you have from 3 to 7 quality objectives in your quality manual. Any less than three is probably inadequate to accurately measure the improvement in your quality. Any more than 7 is probably too difficult to keep track of, and may start to become redundant.

Quality objectives must be measurable based on objective, numerical data. A vague statement in your quality manual such as "create the best product" is not measurable. The word "best" is a subjective evaluation, and can not be measured accurately. Your quality objectives should most likely contain some sort of numerical reference. Here are some examples:

 

• Customer Satisfaction Rating -- 97 percent or better.
• Customer Returns -- less than 10 per month
• Customer Returns -- less than .5 percent of sales.
• Final Inspection Rejection Rate -- less than .5 percent of units produced.

You must keep records of your organization's performance. You must keep track of how you do with respect to each of your quality objectives. These records will be reviewed by your third party auditor in the event you are audited to the ISO9001:2000 standard.

 

Whether or not you are ISO certified, it is definitely in your best interest to keep track of where you are in relation to where you want to be. In order to steer the ship accurately, not only do you need to know where you want to go, but you also need to know where you are currently.

I recommend that you compile statistics on your quality objective performance at least twice a year. Your performance measurements should be one of the inputs for your management review meeting, but you are free to compile and examine the statistics as often as you feel would be helpful.

Whether it be during the course of your management review, or at any other time, an analysis of your quality objective performance can be quite revealing. It can validate that you are on the right track, or can point out deficiencies. Hopefully a regular analysis of your quality objectives will keep you on track, and keep pointing you in right direction, in your quest for continually improving your quality system and your whole organization.

I always recommend that people keep their ISO quality manual as simple as possible, while covering the necessary requirements of ISO9001:2000. Keep your quality policy statement simple, but meaningful. Keep your quality objectives simple, meaningful, and measurable.

Timothy Macenroe
ISO Consultant and Quality Manager

My Blog about ISO Certification and Quality Manuals - QualityManualChat.com

ISO Quality Manual Sample and Templates - ISO-Quality-Manual.com
 

ISO 9001 - The Three Components of the Implementation Process

The three components to implementing an ISO 9001 quality management system are: 1) documentation, 2) information management, and 3) operational changes.

Documentation

On the surface it may seem like developing the ISO 9001 documentation shouldn’t be that difficult. You must have a manual that includes a policy, objectives, scope, and the interaction of the processes; and you must have written instructions for:

 

1. Managing the quality system documents
2. Managing the quality system records
3. Conducting internal audits
4. Controlling nonconforming product
5. Implementing corrective action
6. Implementing preventive action

 

The standard also hints at the need for additional instructions, e.g., referring to the work instructions, section 7.1 states “shall determine the following, as appropriate,” but technically, aside from the manual and these six instructions, anything more is optional.

The reality, however, is that in order to get the most out of a quality management system a significant amount of additional documentation is required. A primary function of the system is to establish consistency and eliminate misunderstandings, which is best facilitated with clear and unambiguous written instructions. Policies, which are a pervasive part of any system, have absolutely no value if they're not in writing, and enforcing accountability is extremely difficult if the responsibilities are not spelled out.

The ISO 9001 system documentation is normally organized into four sections, including:

 

1. The Manual, which provides background information and explains how the system works;
2. The Administrative Procedures, which include the procedures and policies that define how the company complies with the requirements of the standard and how it manages the processes that are unique to its operation;
3. The Operating Instructions, which are the detailed instructions used to control manufacturing and service activities; and
4. The Reference Documentation, which are documents like industry standards, equipment maintenance manuals, corporate auditing guidelines, employee policies, etc. that define practices, procedures, or performance criteria not covered by the other documents. These can either be externally or internally generated.

 

No two organizations have the same goals and objectives or do things exactly the same way, which means there are always some differences between the procedures and policies of different organizations. It also means that completely documented “off-the-shelf” systems don’t exist and some document development is inevitable. The challenge is to minimize the effort without sacrificing value.

The Manual – The administrative procedures are usually the more difficult and time-consuming of the four sections to develop. The manual, on the other hand, is relatively straightforward and probably the easiest part to develop. The standard suggests what should be included, and an example of a “well written” manual can provide the format for organizing the material. Most of the work is in converting the ideas of the example into documents that describe your situation. Goals and objectives have to be established, processes defined, responsibilities established, the interaction of the processes explained, and the system parameters established.

Administrative Procedures – The secret to developing administrative procedures is 1) using a format that creates readable documents, 2) finding examples of procedures that offer solutions that apply to your needs, and 3) organizing the documentation based a process list.

The “process approach” is the system structure recommended by the authors of the standard and the process list is the starting point of the process approach.

Think of processes as objectives, i.e., maximizing employee output, making sure new products comply with customer requirements, or making sure working conditions adequately support the production objectives. A set of procedures that constitute a means for meeting an objective is what the standard refers to as an “activity group”. Employee vetting, performance reviews, and training procedures is an examples of an activity group that maximizes employee output. The objectives are the outputs of the “process approach” and the procedures (the activity groups) the inputs. Example:

 

Input = Policies and procedures for making sure employees are motivated, informed, and capable of performing the assigned responsibilities

 

 

Output = Maximum employee output

 

 

The process list is simply a list of those objectives that best represent the needs of your organization. They can be different for every organization and are rarely in sync with the outline of the standard.

 

The format used for developing the procedures, to a large extent, determines whether employees will embrace the system. It can be the difference between documents that are easy to read and ones that are not. The better formats include a clear propose, policies that are relevant to the purpose, and an explanation why things are done the way they are done. A good format also leaves no doubt as to who is accountable for the actions of the procedures.

Examples of procedures from other systems provide ideas on how to develop new procedures and how to improve existing procedures. The same examples can also provide formatting ideas. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that there must be a procedure of every requirement of the standard, or that the documentation has to follow the outline of the standard. The authors of the standard have made it clear that this is not the case. You are encouraged to use a process approach, which is inherently unique to your operation, and to include processes that are important to you but may not included in the standard.

While individual examples can be helpful, continuous system templates that lock into the outline of the standard tend to complicate the implementation process. They depersonalize the system, limit the system to the scope of the standard, and make the process of writing procedures more difficult. Also, don’t go overboard on process mapping and flowcharting. Procedures should be clear to everybody, not just the primary users. A fundamental covenant of the system is continual improvement and some of best improvement ideas come from employees with unrelated responsibilities.

Operating Procedures – The trick to developing operating procedures is in understanding the balance between training and documentation requirements, and in knowing how much information is needed. Too many companies develop too much unnecessary detail.

The standard requires employers to provide employees with the information needed to correctly perform their assigned responsibilities. Proof is either documentation showing that they have been provided the necessary instructions, or training records, which also verifies that they have been provided the necessary instructions. The value of written operating instructions is that they make it easier to hold employees accountable for their actions. From this standpoint, it is only necessary to document those aspects of an operation that are subject to misinterpretation or misunderstanding, which normally doesn’t require a great deal of detail.

Information Management

Managing information is a big part of the standard. The standard states that records shall be maintained in the case of management review meeting minutes (5.6.1); education, training, skills and experience (6.2.2); product validation and verification (7.1.d); inputs for product design and development (7.3.2); and calibration records (7.6). In addition, the standard also requires “evidence of conformity”, which is either physical evidence or documented records, and in many cases records are preferable and sometimes the only alternative.

Records provide a means of confirming that the quality system is controlled, customer requirements are understood, audits are conducted, customers are heard, problems are found and corrected, non-conforming goods are managed, purchasing information is correct, products are traceable, and incoming goods are inspected.

The method of managing information is generally some combination of 1) a file management program, 2) database files such as Microsoft Access, or 3) hard copy files, i.e., binders, file cabinets and manila folders, all of which have advantages and disadvantages.

File Management Programs – File management programs are typically tamper-proof and capable of handling a large volume of information. They’re designed to be paperless systems. Assignments, authorization levels, and additions and revisions to records are keyed into the program, which, under certain conditions, trigger action commands that are communicated via email. There are a few programs tailored to manage primarily ISO 9000 records, but most are universal in nature and designed to manage all types of records. The user is normally responsible for developing the forms and reports needed to manage specific types of records.

The programs are expensive; they come with annual and sometimes monthly maintenance fees; and there are usually costs associated with installation, the number of users, data migration, and training. Many have their own programming language, which makes the user dependent on people with that language skill. And some are web based, which means the program is running on someone else’s server. Generally, they are best suited for companies with a lot of people dealing with a large volume of information.

Database Files – Database files are less expensive, more flexible, and easier to manage. You can either develop your own files or purchase files that have been programmed to deal with specific types of records.

The majority use Microsoft Access and run on a Microsoft Windows operating system. The cost is the cost of the files plus the cost of the Microsoft programs. (The 9000 Advisers offer individual Access files for all the ISO 9001 record keeping requirements.) The files are placed on a server and secured by whatever means is used to secure the server files. Changes and enhancements can be made by anyone who understands Microsoft Access. In most cases there are no user fees or reoccurring maintenance fees, and existing database files can be transferred into the files with the migration functions of the Access program.

Hard Copy Records – Almost everyone ends up with some hard copy records: documents that can’t be scanned, documents with signatures, and documents that are available to all employees. However, building a record keeping policy completely around this approach is risky, even for small companies. It is too easy to misplace documents that move from one person to the next; and it is difficult to manage information that is located in various files, in different offices, and assigned to different people. Responsibilities change and individuals tend to change the way information is gathered and filed. Manual record keeping frequently results in unnecessary duplication, e.g., sales using a different customer list than the person keeping track of the customer complaints. It is also difficult to gather, analyze, and disseminate information. File cabinets are not as accessible as computers and don’t have the sorting, reporting, linking and analytical capabilities of database files.

Operational Changes

The final component of the implementation process is the operational changes, which are the changes needed in order to meet the procedural requirements of a system. They include both the things that are done in order to ensure that the products and services comply with the requirements specified by the customer, as well as the measure taken to in order to improve products and services and the processes used to produce the products and services.

Some of the more common ones include:

 

Administration – 1) Conduct at least one management review meeting. 2) Communicate system developments to all employees. 3) Demonstrate that the key performance indicators are measured, evaluated, and communicated.

 

ISO Representative – 1) Make sure that the auditors are adequately trained. 2) Develop an audit schedule and conduct audits on all of the system procedures. 3) Demonstrate that the corrective and preventive action processes are working. 4) Make system procedures and forms available to employees.

Human Resources –1) Verify that all employees have a basic understanding of the ISO 9000 system. 2) Prove that all employees are capable of performing their respective work assignments, including the top-level executives. 2) Establish a training program for developing employee skills.

Purchasing – 1) Demonstrate that all of the primary vendors are qualified and that their performance is routinely evaluated. 2) Prove that material specifications are verified before they are released to vendors.

Sales/Customer Service – 1) Demonstrate that customer feedback is gathered and analyzed, including records of complaints. 2) Prove that processing capabilities are reviewed before orders for new products are confirmed.

Engineering – 1) Demonstrate that the information released to production is current, accurate, and complies with customer requirements. 2) Demonstrate that product changes affecting form, fit, or function are not implemented without customer approval.

Production – 1) Establish a calibration program that complies with the requirements of the standard. 2) Demonstrate that machinery capabilities have been validated. 3) Prove that nonconforming materials are not mixed in with satisfactory materials. 4) Prove that that shipments comply with the customer requirements. 5) Prove that incoming materials comply with purchase specifications. 6) Prove that operators are provided with the information required to produce products that conform to customer requirements. 7) Demonstrate how materials with shelf life are managed.

 

System documentation and information management are the paperwork part of the system. The operational changes are the action part and represent the part of the implementation process that makes the system work

John is founder and president of http://9000advisers.com/ : a consulting firm specializing in implementing ISO quality management systems. He has over thirty years of manufacturing management experience in the metalworking industry and another six years of consulting experience implementing quality and costing systems. He has a BS in Metallurgical Engineering and an MBA.

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ISO 9001 the Process Approach to Quality Assurance

What is the Process Approach to Quality?

The ISO 9001 2000 standard is designed to manage and improve organizations processes. There is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the meaning of the process approach to Quality.

If you have at all been involved with quality assurance I am sure that you will at least heard of the "process approach" to Quality Assurance even if you are not fully aware of its meaning. The process approach to Quality Assurance is based on the idea that an organization is a system of interlinked processes.

If an organization does not define how its individual activities work together and the order in which the activities are performed it cannot deliver a quality product to its customers.

The process approach to quality involves analysing and then documenting the actual activities and links between those activities within an organization using simple process flowcharts. This technique is typically used by an auditor when conducting a gap analysis on a business. If you are unsure about your ability to identify your processes then you can employ a consultant to assist you.

Once the process and their interactions have been identified a framework of procedures and work instructions can be built around them.

It can often be the case that the output from one process in an organization is the input for another process within the same organization. As can be seen in the diagram below where the output for activity one is the input for activity two and similarly the output of activity two is the input for activity three.

When analysing the processes within your organization it should be remembered that processes may link to processes outside of your organization. A typical example of this might be the product design interface between you and your customer.

Your organization sends a design concept to the customer (the Process input).

The customer approves the design (the Process activity).

You receive back the approved concept design (Process output)

In many organizations it may be possible to break down each process still further into their individual sub-process components, (please forgive the simplistic example).

For example: The posting of a letter might be broken down into.

Process 1: Selection of the envelope type. E.g. Padded, anti static, brown, white, anti-static.

Process 2: Selection of postal method. E.g. Courier, air-freight, secure, insecure.

Process 3: Selection of first or second class postage, same day, seven day.

Each of these processes can then be broken down into sub-processes. E.g. The closure of the envelope. Should it be the type you lick, self adhesive, secured with sticky tape, security fastener or wax seal?

One always has to look at the common sense approach as to how far you should break each process down into sub-processes. For example: If the customer does not specify the method of envelope seal to be used then any type of seal may be used as long as it is fit for purpose. However, if the customer specifies a particular type of seal for certain products the process becomes more important to both you and your customer and therefore the process is worthy of documentation.

If you have difficulty documenting your processes, especially regarding the amount of detail required then it may be worth employing a consultant to guide you through the process. If your procedures are too prescriptive you will end up with unmanageable documents which serve no real purpose. A consultant will be able to minimise your documentation while ensuring compliance with ISO 9001 2000.

Many organizations already have documented instructions in the form of standard operating procedures (SOP's) and work instructions (WI's) that define how individual activities are performed. However, it is often the case that the interfaces between these instructions are misaligned. In some cases the interfaces are not even considered let alone documented. Misaligned process interfaces within an organisaton often leads to process fragmentation and eventually to break down of the organizations processes.

The ISO 9001 2000 standard has adopted the process approach to Quality management systems which is designed to improve an organizations processes.

The following rules may be used to implement a process approach to your Organizations Quality Management System.

Identify your Organizations key processes.

Define Quality Assurance levels for those processes.

Decide how process quality will be measured.

Document your approach to achieving the desired quality.

Evaluate your quality level and continuously improve it.

The following example will help guide you through the methology of identifying process inputs, activities and outputs.

As an example, let us consider the Purchasing Process:

1. The Input to the Purchasing process is a requirement to purchase materials, components or services.

2. The Purchasing Activity involves selecting a supplier from our approved supplier list and preparing a purchase order. We will interact with - The supplier: to place the order. - Receiving: to notify them of the material ordered. We may interact with - Engineering: if Purchasing specifications are needed. - Quality Assurance: if Receiving inspection is needed and to disposition the product if it is non-conforming when received.

3. The Output of the purchasing process is an approved purchase order released to the supplier.

A typical manufacturing company will have the following product realization processes:

Customer Enquiry.

Review and Quote.

Receive Order

Prepare Process Control Documentation

Purchase Materials

Receive Materials

Production

Pack

Label and Ship

In addition, we have the following support processes:

Management Review

Training

Document Control

Internal Auditing

Corrective and Preventive Action

Summary: As you develop your quality system, you must define the sequence and interaction of your processes in your quality manual as required in Section 4.2.2 of the new standard.

As you define your processes and prepare the accompanying documentation, be sure that the inputs, activities, interactions and outputs are fully defined so your quality system is effective.

Driso provide ISO 9001 2000 consultancy, auditing, software, and training Services. They also supply Easy ISO 9001 2000® software for initially setting up an ISO 9001 2000 compliant Quality Management System or improving upon an existing one. To contact Driso Consultancy Services visit the web site below and see what they can do for you and your business. Contact: http://www.driso.co.uk for more details.