ISO 9001 — Setting the Bar for Certification: Making Business Better

Whether it’s in the public or private sector, businesses with a streamlined management system that adheres to recognized International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards simply do better business. That’s why Canadian organizations are increasingly using the expertise and experience of PWGSC’s Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) to certify those standards. In today’s multinational market, registration to the ISO 9001:2000 via CGSB for certification is seen as a definite asset.

“Organizations that implant an ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) find that their operations are more streamlined and efficient,” says Penny Silberhorn, Manager, Conformity Assessment Division, Acquisitions Branch. “Extraneous processes are eliminated, freeing staff for more relevant work, and managers are enabled to bring control and consistency to the operation. This in turn decreases costs by making processes faster and cheaper.”

CGSB is a common service agency that operates as an independent third-party certification body in the fields of quality, the environment, occupational health and safety and also food safety management systems. In providing guidance toward the ISO 9001 registration process for Canadian business and other government departments, CGSB is helping organizations improve their short-term operations, while introducing a holistic management framework that will benefit any organization pursuing excellence.

For government departments, an ISO registration shows a commitment to accountability, efficiency and consistency across government. It demonstrates to Canadians that checks and balances are working, ensuring that improvements continue to be made. Also, because CGSB is a government agency, it offers a valuable service rooted in an understanding of how other government departments operate.

“ISO 9001 puts more discipline into the business processes and thereby improves accountability,” says Churchill Firth, Quality Manager for Real Property Branch, Atlantic Region. Mr. Firth’s directorate first registered in September 2001. “We are quite happy with the results – we now have documented processes, whereas before they were somewhat in disarray. We also have better records management and an increased level of continual improvement and accountability.”

CORCAN, a key rehabilitation program of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), provides employment training and employability skills to offenders in federal correctional institutions through manufacturing products. Registered to ISO 9001 since 2000, CORCAN-Prairie Region sells mainly to other government departments. Increased insistence by government departments for ISO 9001 registration spurred CORCAN-Prairie to register with CGSB. The resulting benefits have been numerous.

“We improved control of the way we work,” says John French, Chief Engineer of CORCAN-Prairie Region. “We used to take corrective action in a reactive sense. We now take a broader view of issues that arise. Instead of fixing a problem in one instance, we look at the root of the problem and try to improve the system so it doesn’t happen again – each problem being an opportunity for continuous improvement to providing customer satisfaction.”

Mr. French cites an improved contracting process and a system that helps define customer expectations clearly as two major benefits of ISO 9001 registration.

Private sector companies benefit from the competitive edge in the global marketplace gained by registering to ISO 9001:2000, says Ms. Silberhorn. For certain industries or clients, it is of extra benefit to have their QMS certified from a government agency such as CGSB.

ISO 14001 – The Environmental Standard

CGSB can assist organizations improving more than just quality management systems. ISO 14001 has become the most widely recognized environmental management system standard in the world for organizations looking to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Registrations through CGSB to ISO 14001 has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years: CGSB has recently registered PWGSC’s Pacific Region Esquimalt Graving Dock – the largest commercial solid-bottom drydock on the west coast of North America – to ISO 14001.

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