Howard Swerdloff

According to Howard Swerdloff , vice president of quality for Sandy Alexander Inc. , Clifton , NJ , not every registrar is equal.There is a wide range of talent , and a company electing to go the route of ISO must select its registrar carefully.
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Most of the money goes to the registrar , Swerdloff says.The good news is that he or she shows up all the time , and if he or she is good your company will benefit tremendously from his or her expertise.Considering how much you're investing , you'd better pick your registrar the way you'd pick a racehorse..

Moving ForwardOnce a registrar is hired , the process moves into high gear.The next phase is to put together an ISO implementation team comprising key personnel from every level of the organization.
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According to Swerdloff , small companies often fall short in this area as many fail to document even the nitty-gritty of their own day-to-day operations.The ISO process seeks to instill an appreciation for documentation in department heads and managers.Not doing so will eventually strangle a small business , Swerdloff warns , especially when it begins to grow.

Documentation should begin from the bottom up.First , instructions and forms should be created for specific projects.Next , work procedures and policies should be established for departments within the operation.In the final step a quality manual is drafted for the entire company.

Once the implementation phase is complete , all employees should be brought up to date on the changes and educated about them when necessary.
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The real driver of the system is the internal auditing system , Swerdloff says.The idea is to understand how the ISO processes work and to make sure that all the processes are actually being enacted.All employees should be enlisted in this effort.They should be taught to listen , observe and recognize the processes at work and the flaws in the organization they may reveal.Process orientation is central to the philosophy of ISO.

Every member of an organization should wear three hats.

In the real world , the customers create the deadlines when they tell you they won't do business with you beyond a certain date unless you obtain ISO registration , said Howard Swerdloff , Vice President of Quality System Management at Sandy Alexander , at a presentation to the North Jersey Club of Printing House Craftsman.

Since it was first developed , several perspective clients have requested to read Sandy Alexander's quality manual before signing job contracts , as proof that the company adheres to high quality standards.

What is ISO 9000.Developed by The International Organization for Standardization in Geneva , Switzerland , ISO 9000 is a series of voluntary international quality standards that serve as a method to establish and maintain a quality management system for manufacturing and service organizations.

The goal of the ISO 9000 series is to increase the confidence companies have in the quality systems of their suppliers.
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You need to take the time to get more than just the certificate , Swerdloff said.Some of the internal steps he recommends include :.•Obtain support from senior management Due to the time and cost of the entire ISO implementation project , Swerdloff emphasized the importance of commitment and dedication from top management.
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Swerdloff agreed.The smartest thing we did was to train the internal auditors early in the process.They are the backbone of the system ; they are the ones who enforce the rules..

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Members saw the documentation process as an opportunity to grow and express themselves , and to really make a difference within the company , said Swerdloff.Documentation enabled the company to find and eliminate inconsistencies , contradictions , overlaps , and unnecessary , time-adding steps within their processes.

•Write and teach the quality policy.These are the words you will live by.You have to prove that you are working to achieve these goals , said Swerdloff.Management decided to print the quality policy on wallet-sized cards for every employee , to assist them in learning.•Know the process will take time.

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Swerdloff commented , It's a project that seems so big and endless.A consultant can give you the right perspective on things..

According to Howard Swerdloff, vice president of quality for Sandy Alexander Inc., Clifton, NJ, not every registrar is equal.There is a wide range of talent, and a company electing to go the route of ISO must select its registrar carefully.
...
"Most of the money goes to the registrar," Swerdloff says."The good news is that he or she shows up all the time, and if he or she is good your company will benefit tremendously from his or her expertise.Considering how much you're investing, you'd better pick your registrar the way you'd pick a racehorse."

Moving ForwardOnce a registrar is hired, the process moves into high gear.The next phase is to put together an ISO implementation team comprising key personnel from every level of the organization.
...
According to Swerdloff, small companies often fall short in this area as many fail to document even the nitty-gritty of their own day-to-day operations.The ISO process seeks to instill an appreciation for documentation in department heads and managers.Not doing so will eventually strangle a small business, Swerdloff warns, especially when it begins to grow.

Documentation should begin from the bottom up.First, instructions and forms should be created for specific projects.Next, work procedures and policies should be established for departments within the operation.In the final step a quality manual is drafted for the entire company.

Once the implementation phase is complete, all employees should be brought up to date on the changes and educated about them when necessary.
...
"The real driver of the system is the internal auditing system," Swerdloff says."The idea is to understand how the ISO processes work and to make sure that all the processes are actually being enacted.All employees should be enlisted in this effort.They should be taught to listen, observe and recognize the processes at work and the flaws in the organization they may reveal.Process orientation is central to the philosophy of ISO.

"Every member of an organization should wear three hats.

Howard Swerdloff, Sandy Alexander, Inc.

From : Howard Swerdloff VP Quality , Sandy Alexander Inc

Individual performance appraisals linked to an effective merit compensation system , and aligned with an organization's strategic objectives , are indispensible to ensure high performance.Every individual needs to be held accountable and high performers need to be rewarded or thet will be de-motivated.If teams are part of the organization's strategy , then teaming behavior needs to be appraised and rewarded as well.