A number of industry experts are saying that some companies will be unable or unwilling to transition to the ISO 9001:2000 standards released December 15, 2000. Many say that is not bad news, in fact it will likely weed out thousands of companies who probably bought into ISO 9000 just for contractual purposes.

Robert Peach, who helped write the first draft of the ISO standard in 1987 and then went on to play a key role in establishing the US accreditation system for ISO 9000 registrars said "You will be hearing of companies dropping either their use of ISO 9001 or their registration." This includes companies presently registered to ISO 9002 or 9003 who elected not to include their design activities in the scope of the third-part registration, and those who view new requirements on customer satisfaction, continual improvement and management commitment as a burden. "We should not be discouraged when we hear that, because these are the ones that were probably giving lip service to the standard already," says Peach. In fact, a number of industry experts say they would prefer to see fewer registration certificates if that means an improvement to the overall quality of the remaining certificate holders. Of course, all agree that it would be preferable to see all companies make the necessary changes to their systems and upgrade their registration certificates to the new standard within the allotted three-year transition period.

Although it is likely that some existing certifications will not be upgraded, it is also likely that the service sector will increase their move towards ISO 9000 because it is now easier for them to understand and appreciate its relevance to their work. In addition, many sector specific adaptations of ISO 9000 will soon be issuing revisions based on ISO 9001:2000 (including like TL 9000 for the telecommunications industry, AS 9000 for the aerospace industry, and QS 9000/TS-16949 for the automotive industry). When that happens, companies within these sectors will have to get on board. In fact, some sector specific versions of ISO 9000 (like TL 9000) will impose industry-specific metrics for measuring and improving performance that will not only accomplish what is needed for that industry but also serve as models for how such measures can be developed for other industries.

If you view ISO 9000 as merely a ticket for doing business - you may be right, but you are in for a surprise when you try to implement ISO 9001:2000. If your organization is fully committed to having satisfied customers and improving your quality systems, then ISO 9001:2000 is for you .

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) is given to US organizations that excel in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resource focus, process management, and business results. Many states, including Kentucky, have developed quality awards based on assessments to MBNQA criteria.

The 2000 MBNQA winners for manufacturing are Dana Corporation and the KARLEE Company; Operations Management International OMI) won in the service category; and Los Alamos National Bank won in the small business category. The awards were presented by President Clinton and Commerce Secretary Norman Mineta. "As the first group of winners in the 21^st century, they exemplify the Baldrige themes of excellence, global competitiveness, partnerships, empowerment, innovation and lifelong learning. They can proudly serve as role models for any organization wanting to improve the way they operate," said Mineta.

David Briggs of the KARLEE Company says making ISO 9000 certification the first stop on the company’s "quality journey" was a key decision that eventually led to the MBNQA. "ISO set the foundation for controlling processes in a way that enable you to get the business results needed" (for the MBNQA). However, KARLEE is not resting on it’s laurels - it is already preparing for the transition to ISO 9001:2000 and working toward ISO 14001 certification of its environmental management system. Briggs says the transition should be fairly easy since the new standard adheres more closely to Baldrige criteria. "Most of the things you would be putting in place (through ISO 9001:2000) match Baldrige criteria: the emphasis on customer satisfaction and customer focus, the documented planning system , and the requirement to measure/monitor processes and customer satisfaction come closer to being criteria for the Baldrige."

Vince Morgillo of Dana Corporation says, "We are QS-9000 certified but the key reason we won the Baldrige is leadership and fact-based management." Morgillo agrees that the new standard does move closer to the Baldrige in its requirements.

Steve Wells, president of Los Alamos National Bank, says that "while ISO 9000 was not a part of the plan that led to the Baldrige, the bank will be registered in the near future because there are always ways we can get better - Baldrige or not, we rely heavily on efficiency - I know that was a large part of the decision to look into ISO."

OMI is the only Baldrige winner this year that does not see ISO 9000 in its future. Rodger Quayle of OMI says that "we have one project that is certified to ISO 9000, but most of our projects use a quality system that works and has the same intent."

ISO 9001:2000, Quality Management Systems (QMS) - Requirements, and ISO 9004:2000, QMS - Guidelines for Performance Improvements, form a "consistent pair" of documents that allow a company to design and implement a QMS that not only meets international QMS requirements but provides a sound foundation for continual improvement of an organization’s overall performance and efficiency. The linkage between ISO 9001:2000 and the Baldrige noticed by this years MBNQA winners reinforces what authors of the new standard have been advocating from the beginning - upgrading from ISO 9001:1994 to ISO 9001:2000 is the first step in the "Move from Conformance to Performance".