At Colossal we believe in meeting the highest quality standards, and our constant pursuit for providing the best quality products has been rewarded by the International Standards Organisation's award of the ISO 9001-2000 certification.

ISO 9000 is a family of standards for quality management systems. ISO 9000 is maintained by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization and is administered by accreditation and certification bodies. For a service-provider, some of the requirements in ISO 9001 (which is one of the standards in the ISO 9000 family) would include:

   • a set of procedures that cover all key processes in the business;

   • monitoring processes to ensure they are producing quality       product/service;

   • keeping proper records;

   • checking outgoing product/service for defects, with appropriate corrective       action where necessary; and

   • regularly reviewing individual processes and the quality system itself for       effectiveness.

   • facilitate continual improvement

ISO 9001:2000 in informal language

   • The quality manual is a formal statement from management, closely       linked to the business and marketing plan and to customer needs. The       quality manual is understood and followed at all levels and by all       employees. Each employee needs measurable objectives to work       towards.

   • Decisions about the quality system are made based on recorded data and       the system is regularly audited and evaluated for conformance and       effectiveness.

   • You need a documented procedure to control quality documents in your       company. Everyone must have access to up-to-date documents and be       aware of how to use them.

   • To maintain the quality system and produce conforming product, you       need to provide suitable infrastructure, resources, information,       equipment, measuring and monitoring devices, and environmental       conditions.

   • You need to map out all key processes in your company; control them by       monitoring, measurement and analysis; and ensure that product quality       objectives are met. If you can’t monitor a process by measurement, then       make sure the process is well enough defined that you can make       adjustments if the product does not meet user needs.

   • For each product your company makes, you need to establish quality       objectives; plan processes; and document and measure results to use as       a tool for improvement. For each process, determine what kind of       procedural documentation is required. (Note: a “product” is hardware,       software, services, processed materials, or a combination of these.)

   • You need to determine key points where each process requires       monitoring and measurement, and ensure that all monitoring and       measuring devices are properly maintained and calibrated.

   • You need to have clear requirements for purchased product. Select       suppliers appropriately and check that incoming product meets       requirements.

   • You need to determine the skills required for each job in your company,       suitably train employees and evaluate the effectiveness of the training.

   • You need to determine customer requirements and create systems for       communicating with customers about product information, inquiries,       contracts, orders, feedback and complaints.

   • When developing new products, you need to plan the stages of       development, with appropriate testing at each stage. You need to test       and document whether the product meets design requirements,       regulatory requirements and user needs.

   • You need to regularly review performance through internal audits and       meetings. Determine whether the quality system is working and what       improvements can be made. Deal with past problems and potential       problems. Keep records of these activities and the resulting decisions,       and monitor their effectiveness. (Note: you need a documented       procedure for internal audits.)

   • You need documented procedures for dealing with actual and potential       nonconformances (problems involving suppliers or customers, or internal       problems). Make sure no one uses bad product, determine what to do       with bad product, deal with the root cause of the problem and keep       records to use as a tool to improve the system.

It is widely acknowledged that proper quality management improves business, often having a positive effect on investment, market share, sales growth, sales margins, competitive advantage, and avoidance of litigation. The quality principles in ISO 9001:2000 are also sound, according to Wade, and Barnes, who says "ISO 9000 guidelines provide a comprehensive model for quality management systems that can make any company competitive."

It is with the broad goal of providing quality solutions tailored to suit your needs that we at Colossal strive to achieve the highest standards of quality. The ISO 9001-2000 certification is just another proof of our commitment.