Hello Again Telephonics
Hubert Few covered the ISO certification issue re SOE in a related thread, and the subject has been brought up on this one as well.
I would believe that SOE was basking in the limelight of C-MAC, who was to be their key supplier, and C-MAC has several areas of their organization ISO certified. I couldn't find my original C-MAC listing which specified this certification in general, but this:
cmacquartz.com URL tags their quartz mfg.
If I'm not mistaken, there are ?HR-?? standards which more directtly apply to video. C-MAC America is listed as ISO-9000 certified as well.
Of interest to the competitive world is that once an organization is certified, the process is actually a continuation, requiring re-certification; Ya don't get to rest on yer butt,
One thing the certification does not do is judge the actual quality of a specific product! It is actually a structure for ensuring that you do what you say you do. (Just like SOE.....NOT). So it is really an evaluation of your in-place systems and procedures.
The boring details recapped are:
ISO 9000 is the overall quality management and quality assurance standard, setting forth the guidelines for selection and use, explaining fundamental quality concepts, defines key term, and guideance for the next levels such as 9001,9002,and 9003 & 9004.
9001 covers design/development, production, installation and servicing. This is supposedly the most comprehensive and includes elements comprising 9002 and 9003.
9002 focuses on all quality aspects except design. 9003 & 9004 are less frequently used, limited more by practical considerations such as fewer companies in these areas are limited.
9003 involves final inspection and testing and as such is usually limited to compaines involved with final product testing.
Finally, (if you are still awake, 9004, which covers quality management and quality system elements, and it explains how to develop and implement quality systems as related to supplier operations.
I read somewhere that 5,000 ISO certifications have been issued to US companies, with more and more applying.
Yawn...
But just as you and Hubert and others have said, it is a powerful selling tool, and not to see it as related to SOE smarts!
Bill Kidston |
