Quantum Associates, Inc               

"Providing Solutions For Creating Customer Value"

Our mission is to anticipate and meet the process improvement and training needs of our clients with integrity, creativity, and a passion for adding value.

Companies hire us because of  our experience, knowledge and passion for improving process performance

ISO 9001:2008 is a very basic commonsense-based standard. It is not complicated. Its ideas are accessible and applicable to any business or organization. Quantum Associates’ comprehensive ISO 9001:2008 implementation process includes strategic meetings with your management team to develop your quality policy and objectives, a gap analysis to determine the scope of the project, documentation and training of your staff to implement the policy and procedures. Finally, we will conduct a cost of poor quality analysis to establish a baseline and determine your “Quality Performance Index.”

Improve Financial Performance With ISO 9001

The Impact Of ISO 9001:2008 on ISO 9001:2000

Basic Business Statistics Course Now Available

ISO 9000 in Healthcare

"In need of management systems, healthcare organizations turn to ISO 9001:2000. Looking for better ways to structure their organizations and improve service, two healthcare groups turned to ISO 9001:2000. The standard provided requirements that helped them meet their goals by establishing a quality management system. By following the standard the organizations improved efficiency and their bottom line." (Read more...)

Key Benefits

• Processes that need to be developed or improved are identified and your documentation needs are determined
• Installation and maintenance of your quality system is minimized because only the documentation needed to run “your business” is implemented
• Your company has an index to determine how to measure the performance of the quality management system in reducing costs

Capabilities

Lean9000

A concept we developed whereby we review your  quality procedures and map them to uncover steps which do not add  value to your customers.  Lean processes are a must. Processes that don't create value in the eyes of the customer must be minimized or eliminated. Lean 9000 takes a lean approach to QMS implementation by mapping your procedures and analyzing them for wasteful activities. New procedures are designed based on the elimination or reduction of the wasteful steps. The waste is eliminated and the new waste-free procedures are implemented resulting in a streamlined and more effective QMS. Imagine how much more efficient your quality management system will be when you reduce all the wasteful steps. This program is available to organizations who are already registered to ISO 9000 as well as to organizations who are not registered but are considering implementing ISO 9000. Please read about how you can leverage ISO 9000 to jump start your Lean implementation.

ISO 9000 Design and Implementation

We can work within your budget constraints to help design and implement your quality system. We can offer you our accelerated plan, which limits the time your staff is diverted from their everyday responsibilities and gets you ready for your registration audit within 4 to 6 months. Our traditional plan includes working with your implementation team to ensure your documentation complies with the standard and to facilitate implementation. The traditional approach usually takes 8-12 months to achieve registration readiness. Click on the links below for some sample ISO 9001: 2008 quality system documents.

Seven Steps to Implementing ISO 9000

A good quality management system will require a commitment from a company’s management team in order to implement and continually improve its effectiveness. Some standard steps to implementing a Quality Management System can include the following:

Step 1: Establish a Core Team

Establish a Core Team of managers or supervisors that will meet weekly and develop a project implementation plan and review progress. The Core Team, regardless of their regular commitments, will meet routinely and do much of the actual work.

Step 2: Appoint a Management Representative

One member of the Core Team should be appointed as the Management Representative. The Management Representative is the person who takes the lead within the Core Team, (handling the bulk of the work of implementation), communicating and coordinating all internal and external activities.

Step 3: Create a Matrix of System Pieces

The Core Team should Create a Matrix or Chart of the current System Pieces in use at the company. System pieces include all levels of documentation: policy procedures, work instructions and forms. The Core Team can identify gaps in the system by using a gap analysis checklist.

Step 4: Develop a Timeline

After the Core Team has identified the gaps, they should Develop a Timeline that incorporates all the necessary system pieces not yet implemented in the company’s Management System. This timeline should be reviewed for progress at periodic Core Team Meetings.

Step 5: Allocate Resources

Resources should be allocated to implement system pieces in departments or functions of the company that need the most help. When a department or function does not develop and implement the system pieces according to the Timeline, it is important to shift resources to that department or function.

Step 6: Involve your Employees

Employees can be involved by assisting in a variety of ways. Perhaps by helping to draft rough documentation of their work instructions or by becoming part of an internal audit team. When employees conduct audits in non-related work areas they develop an appreciation of the overall Quality Management System.

Step 7: Improve your Processes

Continual Process Improvement requires that the entire Quality Management System be defined and documented. A company can only improve its business processes if it analyzes and documents them first. Often companies report substantial increases to the bottom line from reductions in operational costs, a direct result of business process analysis.

ISO 9001:2008 Quality Policy Manual 
This is an example of a policy manual for a small manufacturing organization whose customers provide the drawings for the parts. Therefore the company is excluded from the design requirement of the Product Realization clause of ISO 9001:2008.

Sample Procedures
Here we have two examples of procedures where process maps are used to reduce the number of written words and also make the procedures easier to understand.

Fast Track ISO 9000 Program for Small Businesses
This package is designed especially for small businesses (1 to 100 employees). Using our library of proven  ISO 9001 templates and tools from various industries we can customize your documentation quickly  so you can achieve ISO 9001:2008 compliance and certification in 4 to 6 months. (Read More)

ISO 9000 Quality System Maintenance

Many small organizations either do not have the resources to maintain their quality management system or need to deploy their available resources to more pressing business problems. We offer customized maintenance and support as well as full service programs to help you maintain your quality system. We assign an ISO 9000 maintenance coordinator who usually reports to your Management Representative. The fee for this service is calculated on an “as used” basis or can be established as a periodic retainer depending on your needs. Above all our ISO 9000 coordinators are experienced lead auditors.

ISO 9000 Internal Auditor Training

Our internal auditor workshops will help prepare your staff to conduct internal audits of your ISO 9000 quality system. We offer two workshops based on your needs. Our two-day workshop is designed for participants who are basically unfamiliar with the ISO 9000 standard and the process approach to auditing. Workshop participants acquire the tools to plan, prepare and conduct internal audits. Our one-day workshop is for experienced internal auditors. Participants acquire the tools to audit quality system processes, identify and correct problem areas and continually improve the quality system.

Online Internal Auditor Training Available

ISO 9000 Internal Audit Service - Affordable-Partnership Approach to Compliance and Registration

If you are short on resources or your staff is laboring under a heavy workload making it difficult for you to meet the internal audit requirements of the standard then our internal audit service is designed just for you. We can help verify the adequacy, implementation and effectiveness of your ISO 9000 quality management system. Internal auditing is one of the most critical activities in the ISO 9000 program. Registrars audit this activity almost every time they audit your company.

By partnering with Quantum Associates, we will provide you with auditors who are flexible, knowledgeable, objective and experienced in various industries. We will make the internal audit process of your QMS or EMS as efficient as possible for your company.

Our audit professionals can help you:

•  Achieve an effective internal audit program
•  Supplement or mentor the auditors on your staff
•  Perform a gap analysis prior to a registration audit
•  Update your current audit system to make it process oriented
   

Some of the benefits of outsourcing your internal audits to Quantum Associates:

•  Your employees are able to focus on essential business requirements
•  Non adversarial style and value-added services
•  Professional auditors who will do a complete management system audit
•  Ensure your system stays in compliance to the requirements
•  Save on training costs
•  Adds independence to the audit function, particularly for small companies

ISO  14001

Do you need to understand how to implement  ISO 14001:2004. Quantum Associates can help you implement the environmental standard to improve  your environmental management process. See what you need to know about I ISO 14001:2004 (DNV White paper).

Online ISO 14001 Training Available

Quality,  Environmental and Safety Management Systems Integration

There is strong support for organizations to integrate environmental and safety with quality management efforts. Highly successful quality, environmental and safety management programs share a number of common organizational features. An integration of OHSAS 18001:1999, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 9001:2008 helps your people become more responsible for working safely and identifying workplace hazards; identifying and managing environmental issues; and producing defect free products or services. The integration of OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001:2008 fundamentally delivers four major enterprise-wide benefits: controlling business risks, reducing total occupational health and safety related costs, reduction of environmental waste, and producing competitive advantage. Other benefits include an optimized management system, better utilization of resources and streamlined system audits.

Assess Your Organization for Compliance to ISO 9001:2000.

make the right choice! Contact us today to learn more about how our ISO 9000 services can help you reduce costs and improve the effectiveness of your organization. You'll be glad you did.

Visit Our Online Training Site for the following courses:
ISO 9001:2000 Management Overview
ISO 9000 Internal Auditor Course
ISO 14000 Introduction
OHSAS 18001 Introduction

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Last modified: 07/13/2010