"ISO 9000: Preparing for Registration" by James L. Lamprecht; Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1992, pp 241.

A Book Review by Norman C. Frank, PE, CQE, CQA. CER Corporation, Washington, DC

This book is written for someone working within a company to obtain registration to an ISO 9000 series standard. It gives a great deal of information without any "theory" to confuse the goal. The solid introduction of the ISO 9000 series gives an overview and information on the interrelationship with other standards and federal laws that companies must meet. This is followed by an explanation of the ISO 9000 series standards, paragraph by paragraph, along with a discussion of the documentation needed to meet ISO 9000. An examination of how you might proceed with your registration project, including example costs and schedules further helps with your project.

There is also an examination of how "registrars" are certified and the requirements for a "certification body" (EN 45011/2). This allows you to understand what makes a "registrar" and the role of the "certification body". It also allows you to understand your rights when working with a registrar.

A good discussion of the audit processes follows. First are discussed third-party audits, then internal audits. One major problem is that the discussion of qualification of internal auditors seem to perpetuate the mistaken belief that internal auditors "should" attend a five-day lead assessor course that is certified by some official (i.e., governmental) agency. This, of course, is neither true nor necessary for internal auditors. The discussion on auditing provides some good information on what to expect, questioning, and difficult interviews.

The final chapters deal with the future revisions of ISO 9000, the EEC Directives, choosing a consultant, and application to services. Appendix A provides guidelines for preparing your Quality Manual along with a sample manual. Appendix C provides an ISO Questionnaire that can be used to guide your own assessment of your progress toward certification. A plus, it correctly defines "notified body", which doesn't happen often in ISO literature today.

This is an excellent book to give you an overview of the entire ISO 9000 certification process. It will help all levels of understanding from novice through learning to knowledgeable. It should be part of your shelf of quality books.

Buy this book from: ASQ Quality Press