More than 400,000 companies worldwide hold some type of ISO
certification, according to industry experts. "We are seeing a
lot of smaller companies with enough confidence in their processes
to be certified and move to the front of the line to deal with
major customers," said John Glavey, regional Midwest
representative for DNV Certification, which registers companies.
Glavey and others involved in the certification arena said small
companies benefit financially by upgrading their manufacturing and
quality-control processes to meet the ISO standards. Why? Because
better quality products mean a company keeps its customers happy
and generates more business. "One of the first things our
clients ask is are we ISO-certified," said Mike Herot, quality
assurance manager for Da-Tech Corp. in Ivyland, Pennsylvania.
"We give them a copy of our certificate rather than filling
out the pages and pages of answers to questions."
Da-Tech, which has 100 employees, manufacturers printed circuit
boards used in medical devices, telecommunications equipment and
heater controls. The company received its initial certification in
1998. "You have to do an internal check-up every six months to
see if you are still in compliance," he explained. He said
Da-Tech hired Scalies to train three employees as internal
auditors.
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"The internal audits prevent catastrophic errors you may
not notice without a system in place," said Herot, adding that
maintaining high standards requires top-down support.
"It's has to be an organization-wide effort and not just a
one- or two-man show."
Dana DeNinno, recruitment and career development administrator
for Tolas Healthcare Packaging in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, said
getting employees involved in improving quality is a great morale
booster and motivator. The company, which does contract
manufacturing for the medical device industry, has created a team
of 15 internal auditors drawn from different departments. "We
would lose a lot of business if we didn't have the ISO
certification," she said. "It's very important to our
company."
DeNinno cautioned that the certification process requires more
than just setting up quality manufacturing procedures and writing
reports. "You can't just set it up and walk away,"
said DeNinno. "You need to measure and evaluate your systems
frequently."
In the News
The SBA has extended the Physical Loss Disaster Loan application
deadline to March 11 from January 10, according to Rep. Nydia M.
Velazquez, ranking Democratic member of the House Small Business
Committee. "Small businesses, which we depend on for our
recovery and rejuvenation, are still hurting," said Velazquez.
"Many of them are just now discovering how badly they have
suffered over the past three months. It is important to keep these
resources open to them."
Velazquez said she hopes Congress will past a pending bill that
provides grants, no- to low-cost loans and loan forgiveness.
"These will be the expanded tools we can use to help small
businesses survive, thrive and lead us back to economic recovery
with more jobs and greater growth. I hope the whole House will act
on our bill quickly when it returns for the second session on
January 23."
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