The Automotivr repair industry has a bad name . Can any one let me know as to where I can find material to set forth the steps to improve the Repair Service in my Shop
Choosing a registrar involves all the things you mention and a bit more. I am assuming you are seeking registration to ISO 9001:2000 or a sector-specific standard aligned with ISO 9001:2000, but even if you were implementing an environmental management system or other type, the same things are important. There are six things any organization should be considering in choosing a registrar:
1. Capabilities. When registrars are accredited, they are accredited as being competent to assess a management system for an organization in specific industries. SIC Codes and NACE Codes are the most commonly used industry classifications. Thus, if your company manufactures prefabricated metal parts, you will need to find a registrar that has auditors competent to audit a metalworks factory, not software design. So, find out what your organization's activities are classified as being according to one of the standard codes and then ask potential registrars for proof that they are accredited to conduct registration assessments under your code.
2. Accreditation. Accreditation involves having an independent, third-party organization assess the operations and competency of a registrar to make sure the registrar and its auditors are qualified based on criteria that has been developed to define what a competent, ethical and good registrar operations should demonstrate. Accreditation can be very important if your customers recognize certificates of registration bearing the accreditation mark of one such body but not others. Many countries have one or more accreditation bodies. For instance, the ANSI-RAB National Accreditation Program is the recognized US accreditation body and certificates bearing its accreditation mark are usually accepted by customers worldwide. Many registrars hold accreditation from multiple bodies, and the International Accreditation Forum has a membership of 38 or so bodies, of which about 28 have undergone peer review and signed a multilateral recognition agreement to the effect that they recognize and encourage the acceptance in their countries of certificates bearing the accreditation marks of the other signatories. This is important since, if you go through the trouble to get registered by a registrar only to find out that the registrar is not acceptable to your customers and potential customers, you will have wasted your money (and probably used a questionable registrar). There are some good, small registrars that are not accredited, and they may be able to suit your needs, but most companies choose a registrar because the certificate will allow them to maintain or gain business with customers that want registered suppliers.
3. Reputation and good service. I put these two together, because if you choose a registrar that has a reputation for being good but then it provides poor service, the reputation must not be as good as you thought. I recommend that you ask your customers, suppliers and other companies in your industry or industry associations which registrars they are using or have heard good things about. Once you have a list of registrars that have a good reputation for your industry, interview several candidates and ask them specific questions about what they can do for your company and what experience they have in companies of your size and type. Ask also for a list of references and call several clients of the registrars you think would be a good match for your company. Treat the hiring of a registrar the way you would the hiring of an employee.
4. Price. Your organization should determine how much it can afford and/or is willing to spend on registration and then seek out registrars that fit your budget. The best bet is to contact about 5 or 6 registrars that you plan to interview and ask them for a bid. What will usually happen is that the registrar will send you a short questionnaire about your organization and will issue an estimate of what the registration assessment and semi-annual or annual surveillance audits will cost you. However, beware of choosing the lowest price without first looking at the fine print and asking some pointed questions. While prices among registrars will vary to a certain degree, I would caution against choosing a registrar based on cheapest price without considering the reputation of the registrar and the services they provide. You get what you pay for very often, and I am sure you will have a hard time finding a Cadillac for the price of a Hyundai. Also, registrars that offer the lowest rates often fail to mention that they charge separately for every separate service they provide, including the issuance of a duplicate certificate of registration. Ask the candidates if the estimate they provided includes any additional incidental costs that often occur. I list this fourth because price will often be affected by the first three on this list.
5. Availability. In December 2003, ISO 9001/2/3:1994 certificates of registration will pretty much become obsolete, meaning that 35,000+ organizations in the United States and 400,000+ worldwide will need to have completed the transition to ISO 9001:2000, which involves either a separate transition audit by the registrar or an expanded surveillance audit to cover the changes in ISO 9001:2000. While registrars should not be adding more than half a day to 2 days to the length of a surveillance audit (the size and complexity of the organization will affect the additional time), the fact that less than 10% of US registrations have transitioned so far and that there are indications that many organizations plan to wait until next spring means that many registrars will be backlogged with existing clients. Thus, when you are choosing candidates, an important question you need to ask if timing is important is "When would you be able to send an auditor(s) qualified to audit my organization if I chose your firm today?"
6. Location. This is just a factor to think about. While the best registrar may be on the other side of the country from you, it might make sense to choose the second-best registrar if it is located near your facilities or has offices with qualified registrars near most of your facilities. The reason is price and service. A registrar that has its auditors far from your facilities is going to charge you for both the cost of travelling to your facilities to conduct the audit, and many will count the travel time as billable auditor hours. Also, it will make scheduling an audit a bit more difficult, since the auditor(s) will need to fit you into the travel plans. So, depending on where your facilities are located, you might want to see if there is a good candidate available nearby.
Depending on your organization and why it is pursuing registration, which of these factors is more important than the others will vary. I hope that these help you in your selection process.
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qdigest 6/21/2002
Choosing a registrar involves all the things you mention and a bit more. I am assuming you are seeking registration to ISO 9001:2000 or a sector-specific standard aligned with ISO 9001:2000, but even if you were implementing an environmental management system or other type, the same things are important. There are six things any organization should be considering in choosing a registrar:
1. Capabilities. When registrars are accredited, they are accredited as being competent to assess a management system for an organization in specific industries. SIC Codes and NACE Codes are the most commonly used industry classifications. Thus, if your company manufactures prefabricated metal parts, you will need to find a registrar that has auditors competent to audit a metalworks factory, not software design. So, find out what your organization's activities are classified as being according to one of the standard codes and then ask potential registrars for proof that they are accredited to conduct registration assessments under your code.
2. Accreditation. Accreditation involves having an independent, third-party organization assess the operations and competency of a registrar to make sure the registrar and its auditors are qualified based on criteria that has been developed to define what a competent, ethical and good registrar operations should demonstrate. Accreditation can be very important if your customers recognize certificates of registration bearing the accreditation mark of one such body but not others. Many countries have one or more accreditation bodies. For instance, the ANSI-RAB National Accreditation Program is the recognized US accreditation body and certificates bearing its accreditation mark are usually accepted by customers worldwide. Many registrars hold accreditation from multiple bodies, and the International Accreditation Forum has a membership of 38 or so bodies, of which about 28 have undergone peer review and signed a multilateral recognition agreement to the effect that they recognize and encourage the acceptance in their countries of certificates bearing the accreditation marks of the other signatories. This is important since, if you go through the trouble to get registered by a registrar only to find out that the registrar is not acceptable to your customers and potential customers, you will have wasted your money (and probably used a questionable registrar). There are some good, small registrars that are not accredited, and they may be able to suit your needs, but most companies choose a registrar because the certificate will allow them to maintain or gain business with customers that want registered suppliers.
3. Reputation and good service. I put these two together, because if you choose a registrar that has a reputation for being good but then it provides poor service, the reputation must not be as good as you thought. I recommend that you ask your customers, suppliers and other companies in your industry or industry associations which registrars they are using or have heard good things about. Once you have a list of registrars that have a good reputation for your industry, interview several candidates and ask them specific questions about what they can do for your company and what experience they have in companies of your size and type. Ask also for a list of references and call several clients of the registrars you think would be a good match for your company. Treat the hiring of a registrar the way you would the hiring of an employee.
4. Price. Your organization should determine how much it can afford and/or is willing to spend on registration and then seek out registrars that fit your budget. The best bet is to contact about 5 or 6 registrars that you plan to interview and ask them for a bid. What will usually happen is that the registrar will send you a short questionnaire about your organization and will issue an estimate of what the registration assessment and semi-annual or annual surveillance audits will cost you. However, beware of choosing the lowest price without first looking at the fine print and asking some pointed questions. While prices among registrars will vary to a certain degree, I would caution against choosing a registrar based on cheapest price without considering the reputation of the registrar and the services they provide. You get what you pay for very often, and I am sure you will have a hard time finding a Cadillac for the price of a Hyundai. Also, registrars that offer the lowest rates often fail to mention that they charge separately for every separate service they provide, including the issuance of a duplicate certificate of registration. Ask the candidates if the estimate they provided includes any additional incidental costs that often occur. I list this fourth because price will often be affected by the first three on this list.
5. Availability. In December 2003, ISO 9001/2/3:1994 certificates of registration will pretty much become obsolete, meaning that 35,000+ organizations in the United States and 400,000+ worldwide will need to have completed the transition to ISO 9001:2000, which involves either a separate transition audit by the registrar or an expanded surveillance audit to cover the changes in ISO 9001:2000. While registrars should not be adding more than half a day to 2 days to the length of a surveillance audit (the size and complexity of the organization will affect the additional time), the fact that less than 10% of US registrations have transitioned so far and that there are indications that many organizations plan to wait until next spring means that many registrars will be backlogged with existing clients. Thus, when you are choosing candidates, an important question you need to ask if timing is important is "When would you be able to send an auditor(s) qualified to audit my organization if I chose your firm today?"
6. Location. This is just a factor to think about. While the best registrar may be on the other side of the country from you, it might make sense to choose the second-best registrar if it is located near your facilities or has offices with qualified registrars near most of your facilities. The reason is price and service. A registrar that has its auditors far from your facilities is going to charge you for both the cost of travelling to your facilities to conduct the audit, and many will count the travel time as billable auditor hours. Also, it will make scheduling an audit a bit more difficult, since the auditor(s) will need to fit you into the travel plans. So, depending on where your facilities are located, you might want to see if there is a good candidate available nearby.
Depending on your organization and why it is pursuing registration, which of these factors is more important than the others will vary. I hope that these help you in your selection process.