ESDU Engineer
Issue 11
ISO 9001:2000 and ESDU
In April 2002 IHS announced that it would seek ISO 9001:2000 accreditation for the entire Group. For ESDU, the implication was the need to seek such accreditation for the first time – although the possibility had been considered several times in the past. The first task was to select a Quality Manager who would have the pleasure of drafting the quality manual and procedures. Since Usha Pall (pictured) had considerable experience in the creation of an extensive set of Internal Publications from a multitude of old notes, memos, letters etc., she became the obvious target to be rewarded with the ISO work.
Over the next 15 months Usha and most members of staff “collaborated” in agreeing on what we do, how we do it and how to describe everything. Even this part of the exercise carried benefits insofar as several gaps were revealed in the then-existing procedures. The format selected for the accreditation documentation is relatively new and comprises:
- • Quality Policy Manual (19 pages text and diagrams),
- • Quality Procedures (17 flow diagrams),
- • Operational Procedures (14 flow diagrams),
- • Departmental Procedures (29 flow diagrams) and
- • Quality Forms (18).
The whole constitutes the ESDU Quality Manual which is available to all staff on the Company Internal Network. A single “controlled” hardcopy is kept and maintained by Usha. Following a huge amount of proof reading and the dotting of “i’s” and crossing of “t’s” (something we are all familiar with), ESDU presented itself for accreditation on 4th July 2003 for its initial assessment (Denver, please note date). This assessment was conducted by the accreditation body, SGS UK Ltd of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and went extremely well.
Subsequently, Certificate GB03/59957 was issued on the 8th July 2003. It states, “The management system of ESDU International plc has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirement of ISO 9001:2000 for the following activities, ‘Production of engineering design data and programs, for use by qualified engineers in the aerospace, mechanical, structural and process engineering industries’”.
No “Corrective Action Requests” were raised. This very successful outcome served to emphasise the merit of an award to Usha of an IHS “Excel” Award in respect of the work done in securing the accreditation.