(To the Smaller Business)
Increasingly it is that 3rd factor that helps them make that final decision upon whether they award the contract to YOU or your COMPETITORS!
- QUALITY
But you knew that already - DIDN'T YOU?
In a competitive workplace, companies rarely have a problem achieving an acceptable price & delivery for the goods they require.
Suppliers are 'falling-over' themselves to offer goods that satisfy these factors. However, in an effort to supply these demands QUALITY is often overlooked.
Quality Assurance has always been something that everyone knows they should have, but it has proved to be cost prohibitive.
'It would be a nice idea if we could afford it!!'
Many companies are willing to gamble with Quality, in the vain hope that it will just be enough to secure the business. Invariably they become experts in 'Fire-Fighting' & 'Crisis Management'
Customers soon get wise to this, and choose the supplier whose Product Quality they know they can rely on. They may even decide that it is benificial to wait that extra day in order to obtain an acceptable product that will be fit for it's intended purpose.
Also I am sure that small companies are finding out that many customers are now INSISTING that their suppliers are registered to a recognised Quality Standard and have a documented system.
SMFQA has recognised this, and that is why we have decided to specialise in assisting the SMALLER business become a Quality Assured company.
Quality Assurance/ Health & Safety Advisor
Specialising in the smaller company
Of course if you have a regular audit 3rd party programme, you already know that the ISO: 9000 series of International Standards (Issued 1994) are about to be superceded by BS EN ISO:9001: 2000
at the end of December 2003.
The first thing to note is that now ALL companies, irrespective of type of business have to be registered to ISO:9001.
NO LONGER do we have 9002 (Which the majority of businesses were registered to) and 9003.
IT is now no longer sufficient to say 'Not Applicable' in the Quality Manual - you now have to PROVE IT!
And something else all you QS9000 companies may like to consider.
QS9000 used ISO: 9001: 1994 as it's base, so how can you have a Quality Standard based upon an obsolete document?
Shortly QS:9000 will be superceded by TS16949 which is based upon ISO:9001: 2000
'That big order that has to be out the door by 4.00pm'
'Well we know they'll accept that, they ALWAYS have before'
'We must be doing something right if we are still in business'
and of course the best one:-
'WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY!!'
smaller company. Generally we assist in getting companies ready for the new International Standard BS EN ISO:9001: 2000. (NB: It is not always necessary to go for full registration to ISO:9001:2000)
However we can offer Quality auditting services (including SQA), and implementation of various systems with other disciplines, such as Quality Costing, Customer services (Customer Concerns).
We can also Health & Safety Advice, including Risk Assessment, and implementation of the 'Six-Pack
I have been involved in the introduction & implementation of documented Quality Assurance Management Systems in several companies in all types of industry for over 12 years.
These companies have been in all areas of industry and include manufacture, assembly and service both in
the Automotive and General Manufacturing sectors.
Unlike many other similar businesses of this type, we can perform an initial Quality Gap Analysis of your premises, without obligation to advise you where you are NOW - where you WANT to be - and emphasise the Quality gap in- between.
To obtain a full description of the services we can offer, either e-mail me at the address below or click on the logo above for a more detailed menu:
*( Health & Safety Advice can be offered as a secondary service)