Feb 4, 2019

A quality system makes for a good management system

Tyler Morency
6 years ago

A quality system makes for a good management system

ISO 9001:2015 certification from a quality assurance perspective

Imagine a manufacturing company that has grown from an ambitious start-up to a thriving international exporter. How does a company that has grown in size continue to maintain consistency from a day-to-day and product-to-product basis? The answer for many companies is to institute a Quality System. Measurand itself is certified in compliance with the standards set out in ISO 9001:2015.

“When we talk about Quality Systems now, we’re really talking about Management Systems,” said Gil Roussel, Measurand’s Quality Assurance Manager.

The International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 9001:2015, the latest standard, is arguably the world’s most recognized and implemented Quality Management System (QMS).

“We took our time to transition across [From ISO 9001:2008]. ISO 9001:2015 looks more at decentralization of the day-to-day responsibilities for quality,” Roussel said. “Just prior to [ISO 9001:2015] the company was looking to solidify its business plan and strategic direction, understand its internal and external issues, broaden its comprehension of who our interested parties are.”

ISO 9001:2015 requires the collection of feedback and its reporting to management for review. Companies must be audited annually to maintain ISO certification.

What is an ISO standard?
In ISO’s words: “They give world-class specifications for products, services and systems to ensure quality, safety and efficiency.”

“If a company is certified to an ISO standard, you immediately understand what it is that their system is comprised of,” Roussel said.

For clients, it means systems of internal responses and elevations are in place when there is an issue. Certification to a standard also means that a company has control over the integrity and stability of supplies and materials used in the manufacture of all products in the facility.

Meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 is not only reassuring for a company’s clients but for its suppliers as well.

“This particular kind of system requires us not only to make sure the supplier understands what our requirements are but also how we are going to evaluate their supplies that come into us,” Rousell said.

Suppliers are assured that all purchasing orders are consistent and that all technical drawings produced are expressive enough that the suppliers understand the requests.

ISO’s first standard was published in 1951, titled “1SO/R 1:1951 Standard reference temperature for industrial length measurements.“ Since then ISO has published over 22480 standards covering a number of aspects of technology, manufacturing, and business.

  • 1993

    The Beginning

    Measurand is established in Fredericton, New Brunswick
  • 1994

    Bend sensor development

    Measurand develops and patents fiber optic bend and position sensors for the medical and automotive sectors

    U.S. Patent 5,321,257

  • 1995

    Canadian Space Agency

    Receives funding from the CSA to develop sensor technology that ultimately leads to invention of ShapeTape

    U.S. Patent 5,633,494

  • 1999

    Patent on fiber optic sensor

    Measurand receives patent for "Fiber Optic Bending and Positioning Sensor" issued June 29, 1999

    Canadian Patent 2,073,162

  • 2001

    ShapeTape & ShapeHand debut

    Measurand designs and develops innovative motion capture technology

    U.S. Patent 6,127,672, 6,563,107

  • 2002

    Measurand Attends the ICPMG

    First contact with the geotechnical sector at the International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG)
  • 2004

    ShapeArray

    Design patent application sent about a new product designed to meet the specific needs of the geotechnical industry

    U.S. Patent 6,127,672, 6,563,107

  • 2005-08

    ShapeWrap

    Measurand debuts ShapeWrap motion capture technology for the film and animation industry

    U.S. Patent 7,296,363

  • 2006

    Malibu installation

    ShapeAccelArray installed for ground monitoring for the first time​ in Malibu, CA

    Canadian Patent 2,472,421

  • 2007

    ShapeMRI

    Suite of instrumentation developed for motion capture within Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines

    U.S. Patent 7,296,363

  • 2011

    SAAScan launched

    Built for rapid deployment and repeated use

    Canadian Patent 2,472,421

  • 2014

    SAAX launched

    Purpose-built for heavy-duty horizontal installation

    Canadian application 2,815,199 & 2,815,195

  • 2017

    SAAV launched

    The only geotechnical instrument with a patented cyclical installation method

    Cyclical Sensor Array, Canadian application 2,815,199 & 2,911,175