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New Delhi, June 20, 2000
Small and medium enterprises can
derive considerable advantage in marketing their products and services
if they seek ISO9000 certification, according to an expert.
'For small and medium scale companies,
which normally do not enjoy much of a brand image, ISO9000 certification
helps to build confidence in the minds of customer organisations,' says
Soma Ray of the Calcutta-based Sirwill
ISO9000 is a series of standards
for quality management and quality assurance. While ISO9001, ISO9002 and
ISO9003 are meant for certification purposes, ISO9000 and ISO9004 provide
guidelines.
With the government a prominent buyer
in India, many public sector organisations have already started insisting
on ISO9000 registration for vendor enlistment. In the private sector the
situation won't be different in course of time, says Ray.
In case of global markets, it is
widely believed that the World Trade Organisation will include ISO9000
certification as a pre-requisite for exports.
Benefits from ISO9000 registration
include clarity in definition of authorities and responsibilities, increased
corporate image and market positioning, better records and documentation
in case of litigation, use of a recognised mark on stationery and advertisements,
better traceability of the root cause of quality problems, early rectification
of errors and no repetition of errors.
There are several steps involved
in getting ISO9000 certification. These are:
These costs depend on the size and
complexity of operations of the company. In Calcutta, for a small
company with a staff of 20, with factory and office located in one place,
the total cost would be in the range of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, says
Ray.
Ray advises companies to be careful
in choosing an ISO9000 consultant. Companies should look carefully at the
consultant's qualifications. At the minimum, a graduate engineer with degree/diploma
in quality assurance and
Second, the consultant should have
at least three years experience in handling two to three ISO9000 projects
independently or as the principal consultant.
Third, the consultant should be willing
to help in documentation. The consultant should prepare a first draft of
at least the apex quality manual and quality system procedures. This would
help in quick implementation of the system.
Fourth, get a firm commitment from
the consultant that he shall provide support till the company gets certified.
Choosing a certifying agency is no
less important, according to Ray. Usually, the ISO9000 consultant will
suggest an agency. Do check and independently verify the credibility of
the certifying agency, advises Ray.
In case your buyers are from overseas,
it would be better to select an auditing agency recognised in that country.
The costs that are admissible for
re-imbursement are application fee, assessment / audit fee, annual fee
/ license fee, training expenses, calibration expenses and technical consultancy
fees.
The Small Industries Development
Bank of India (SIDBI) also provides direct finance to SSIs in the form
of loans (at an interest rate of 13% per annum) if the ISO9000 project
cost is more than Rs 10 lakhs. In case the ISO9000
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