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ISO 9001 Awarded to Quarterdeck International Ltd

What does this mean to Quarterdeck International?

Quarterdeck International Ltd (QIL) is the European Headquarters of Quarterdeck Office Systems, California, USA. QIL localises and manufactures Quarterdeck products for the international market, provides multi-lingual technical support and processes and fulfills international orders.

  1. What is the ISO 9000 series all about?
  2. Why implement a Quality System to ISO 9000 requirements?
  3. How did Quarterdeck International achieve ISO 9001 certification?

1. What is the ISO 9000 series all about?

The ISO 9000 series is an international standard for quality systems which tells suppliers and manufacturers what is required of a quality-oriented system.

It is a set of three standards relating to quality management systems:

  • ISO 9001 - Quality System - Model for Quality Assurance in Design/Development, Production, Installation and Servicing.
  • ISO 9002 - Quality System - Model for Quality Assurance in Production and Installation.
  • ISO 9003 - Quality System - Model for Quality Assurance in Final Inspection and Testing.

    • The ISO 9000 standard evolved from a manufacturing environment but is now applied to many different organisations, industries and services.

    The ISO 9000 is not a certificate or guarantee of quality in a product but rather the procedures by which a product is designed and produced are formally certified as ISO 9000 compliant. It is this approach which makes ISO 9000 more broadly applicable, and increasingly, more and more diverse organisations are looking to ISO 9000 as the framework for their quality system implementation.

    2. Why implement a Quality System to ISO 9000 requirements?

  • ISO certification is a quality mark that can be used on company advertising, promotional material, company stationery. It is recognised both in the local and international marketplaces. It sets you apart from those who have not achieved it.
  • Future business development and growth may well depend on ISO 9000 certification as a result of an increasing demand from customers for their suppliers to have achieved ISO 9000 certification.
  • Implementing ISO 9000 involved literally everyone in the company. Everyone must examine the processes and procedures in their area and document them to ISO 9000 requirements. This is a team-building effort during which everyone learns how to work more effectively together.
  • A quality system should not stand still and must evolve to support changing business environments. To this end, many companies look towards a total quality management strategy. ISO 9000 provides and excellent framework on which to build TQM.

    • 3. How did Quarterdeck International achieve ISO 9001 certification?

    In April 1994, QIL underwent an intensive two day assessment by the British Standards Institute for compliance to the ISO 9001 series and was awarded certification to:

    ISO 9001 : 1987 / EN 29001 : 1987 / BS 5750 PART 1 : 1987

    So, how did QIL go about implementing a quality system?

    It is essential that management at all levels within the company are committed to quality and this was the first step achieved in QIL. The ISO 9000 series was explained to all managers and was widely accepted as an important business tactic in maintaining QIL's position in the international market.

    QIL decided to implement a quality system to the ISO 9001 standard. The localisation work carried out by QIL involves a certain amount of software design and development, which is covered by ISO 9001.

    A quality manual, quality assurance procedures and standard operating procedures were drawn up as per the 20 elements of the ISO 9001 standard.

    Once all the procedures were documented, QIL started carrying out internal audits whereby several trained members of staff audited the documented procedures in each department, ensuring continuous compliance to the ISO 9001 standard. These internal audits are an on-going requirement and are one of the critical elements of ensuring the quality system is being adhered to and that this quality system is achieving the desired results for the company.

    In November 1993, QIL applied to the British Standards Institute, requesting that the BSI assess QIL for compliance to ISO 9001. On April 26th and 27th, two BSI assessors carried out this Initial Assessment in QIL and at the end of day two, at the final meeting, QIL were told they would be recommended for registration. In other words, we were being awarded certification to ISO 9001.

    The presentation of the award. Click graphic to view full-sized image.

    QIL and its location. Click graphic to view full-sized imaged.

    Please Note: These files are BIG (250-360KB). If you are on a slow network link, please be prepared to wait... and wait...

    All screens created by Gareth Boulton, QIL Technical Support (German)