Funds Sought to Host ISO/TC 176 in United States

Help underwrite an international standards meeting and demonstrate your commitment as a quality organization

Published: Monday, November 22, 2010 - 17:08

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 176 is made up of members who develop international standards on quality management and assurance, including the ISO 9000 series. Members of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO/TC 176 develop U.S. positions on those standards. Participation in TAG 176 provides an opportunity for representatives of U.S. constituencies such as industry, commerce, and government, to influence the development of international standards on quality.

Each year a different member country’s TAG hosts the annual meeting of ISO/TC 176. Although the United States plays a significant role on the committee, it has not hosted an international meeting in more than 10 years. TAG 176 formed the U.S. International Standards Connection Fund to help raise a minimum of $100,000 to host an international meeting in 2013.

Although most countries’ standards development organizations (SDOs) are supported by their national governments, U.S. SDOs do not receive any support from the U.S. government. TAG 176 is administered by two nonprofit organizations, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and partially supported by member dues, which help cover the operating costs of the TAG. Funds to host the meeting will come almost entirely from individual donations and corporate sponsorships.

Various tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities range from $5,000–$50,000 and offer a means of associating your organization with the event.

Checks should be payable to “U.S. International Standards Connection” and sent at your earliest convenience to:

ASQ/Standards
600 N. Plankinton Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53201–3005

By donating financial resources to help underwrite an international meeting of ISO/TC 176 and related activities, your organization receives global recognition as a supporter of international standards development. Your tax-deductible donation highlights your organization’s position in the global economy and demonstrates to your employees, clients, and competitors that your organization strongly values quality. You support an audience of quality experts from around the world and increase your organization’s visibility.

By hosting an international meeting, the United States emphasizes its position as an influential pacesetter. In addition, a meeting in the United States will reduce travel costs for our TAG members, who are volunteers, and will enable more of them to attend. A larger U.S. delegation allows the United States to have increased influence on the standards development process. This will be especially important in 2013, the anticipated host year, because the revision of ISO 9001 will begin that year.

The international standards developed by ISO/TC 176, including the ISO 9000 series, bring consistency, reliability, and quality to the global market. They contribute to making the development, manufacturing, and supply of products and services more efficient, safer, and cleaner. They make trade between countries easier and fairer. The widespread adoption of international standards also means that suppliers can base the development of their products and services on reference documents that have broad market relevance.

Even if your organization doesn’t use these standards, many of the small- and medium-sized enterprises in your supply chain use them to ensure their continued ability to serve your organization. ISO 9001-registered companies traditionally demonstrate higher levels of quality, reliability, and responsiveness to customer needs. Your support of this effort emphasizes the high value that your organization places on quality.

For more information about the the 2013 meeting of ISO/TC 176 and how you can support it, contact Jennifer Admussen at standards@asq.org or call 800-248-1946, ext. 7736 (outside the U.S., please dial +1-414-272-8575). Visit ASQ at http://asq.org/.

About The Author

Denise Robitaille

Denise Robitaille is the author of thirteen books, including: ISO 9001:2015 Handbook for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses.

She is chair of PC302, the project committee responsible for the revision to ISO 19011, an active member of USTAG to ISO/TC 176 and technical expert on the working group that developed the current version of ISO 9004:2018. She has participated internationally in standards development for over 15 years. She is a globally recognized speaker and trainer. Denise is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality and an Exemplar Global certified lead assessor and an ASQ certified quality auditor.

As principal of Robitaille Associates, she has helped many companies achieve ISO 9001 registration and to improve their quality management systems. She has conducted training courses for thousands of individuals on such topics as auditing, corrective action, document control, root cause analysis, and implementing ISO 9001. Among Denise’s books are: 9 Keys to Successful Audits, The (Almost) Painless ISO 9001:2015 Transition and The Corrective Action Handbook. She is a frequent contributor to several quality periodicals.