Firms failing to meet new ISO standard

UK construction companies are being warned that they may lose contracts if they fail to update to the new international quality management standard.

The warning comes from certification body, BSI Management Systems, which estimates that only 14% of the 7,418 businesses that hold the old ISO 9001 certificates have transferred to the much improved ISO 9001:2000.

Companies that fail to transfer before the December 2003 deadline could face problems meeting the quality requirements of major customers in the construction sector, many of which will specify that suppliers must meet the updated standard.

ISO 9001:2000 was created after feedback from UK business illustrated the shortcomings of the old standard, introduced in 1994. ISO 9001:2000 is said to carry three new benefits – less red tape, more flexibility, and a greater focus on customer satisfaction.

The main difference between the old and the updated standard involves the manner in which management systems are to be implemented. Under ISO 9001/2/3:1994, a company did not need to show that it had a customer complaints/comment system. ISO 9001:2000 encourages companies to show that these systems are interactive and provide feedback, with a system to record comments which are then fed back in and acted upon, helping to increase customer satisfaction.

(CL)