ISO 9001 OK, Now What?

We're seeing lots of press releases lately from suppliers and wineries praising their ISO certifications. They proclaim, "We have ISO 9001: 2000." Great! That's great! Simply put, ISO certification certifies that a company adheres to internationally accepted standards for quality management systems and operations. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. It is a combination of the Greek word for equal and the International Organization for Standardization. This international federation was founded in 1947 to facilitate the international trade of goods and services. The ISO standard is used by more than 90 countries.

 

Anke Varcin is the head of public relations at ISO 9001. She explained that the ISO's purpose is to create standards that are used by auditors to assess companies applying for certification. Varcin stated that ISO does not audit organizations or issue certificates attesting to their conformance to ISO standards. "ISO certifies organizations independently by around 750 certification bodies in the world. They are not under the control of ISO.

 

What is the process by which ISO establishes its standards? Varcin explained that an industry or business area feels the need to establish a standard and communicates this requirement to one of ISO’s national members. "The latter proposes the work item to ISO. If the work item is accepted, it is assigned to a technical committee. It is possible to propose the creation of technical committees to address new areas of technological activity. ISO launches only new standards if there is a clear market need to do so in order to maximize the efficiency of resources.

 

There are several types of certifications available, depending on what company is certified and when it was issued. Varcin stated that "ISO 9000-certified" organizations had been certified to one of three standards from the 1994 edition of the ISO 9000 series: ISO 9001 (ISO 9002), and ISO 9003 (ISO 9003). Although the standards' scope was different, they were all of equal rank. (For more information on the certifications, please visit the ISO Web site at iso.org.

 

The revised and improved ISO 9001 :2000 standard was adopted in 2000 to replace 1994 versions. The ISO 9001:2000 upgrade was available to organizations that were certified under the 1994 versions. ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 both concerns how a company does its work, but not the end result. The way a company manages its business processes will have an impact on the final product.

 

Why ISO certification? Varcin stated that a company's decision to have an independent audit done on its management system is one that must be made on business grounds. There are many reasons why companies might seek ISO certification, such as market requirements, customer preferences, or employee motivation. ISO certification can help companies increase demand for their products and get positive feedback from customers. There is no fixed price for certification. Varcin says that it depends on many factors, including the current quality management system of the company, the complexity and attitude of top management, and the level of commitment.

 

Set an example

Lisa Farrell, the director of communications at New York's Canandaigua Wine Company, is an expert on how ISO certification works. Canandaigua's two wineries, Mission Bell in Madera, Calif. and New York's Widmer’s Wine Cellars, have been awarded ISO 9001:2000. Several more wineries from California, New York, and Washington are expected to follow.

 

Farrell stated that Canandaigua Wine has made a concerted effort to standardize its production processes in order to achieve discipline and sustainability. "ISO certification gives us standard operating procedures that include valuable communication channels and system feedback loops between Canandaigua Wine, its customers, employees, and managers. It allows us to document and control manufacturing processes in order to exceed customer expectations and maintain quality within our production environment.

 

Applicable to ISO-certified bodies approved and selected Lloyd's Register Quality Assurances for certification auditing

·         Both wineries have ISO leadership teams.

·         Both wineries hosted kick-off meetings with their employees

·         Both wineries produce quality manuals

·         Both wineries offer training for employees

 

Audit and certification, covering all production, bottling, and distribution areas, as well as internal and external audits by an assessor from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance. Farrell stated, "After an external audit, the assessor makes a recommendation to either approve or deny certification. This is then reviewed by the management team (of the certifying body)." After about a year, both Mission Bell's and Widmer's were certified.

 

Farrell stated that it is difficult to meet the (certification standards). You must adhere to the standard operating procedures outlined in your quality manual. This will allow you to pursue them consistently and efficiently. This requires strong leadership by senior management, as well as a sense that employees are committed and working together.

 

Is it worth the effort to get certified?

We asked wine industry suppliers (listed on the W & V Buyer's Guide/Directory), to share their reasons for making the leap and whether they are happy with the results. This is a partial list.