SLAQ Awards for best ISO systems

The ISO programme has issued many standards and these are expected to play a major role in improving industrial progress, safety as well as environment. These standards are used in many developed countries with proven results.

ISO has also issued many guides to support the certification based on these system standards.

Whilst ISO produced the base for these guide and standards, accreditation boards and certification boards, training organisations, consultants and auditors are developed to implement these standards effectively.

In many developing countries these certifications are used more for commercial purposes and the organisations look for 'cheap certificates' whilst some certification bodies cater for such type of 'customers'.

This had resulted in loss on national productivity whilst commercial interests of stakeholders are fulfilled at the cost of the organisations seeking certification.

The SLAQ has taken action to educate organisations to use these standards effectively for business improvements.

SLAQ has already established an ISO Forum to educate organisations practising or planning to introduce ISO Management Systems and to provide information on latest developments in this the development of standards and certification related activities. ISO Forum Newsletter is published periodically to ensure this information reaches these organisations regularly.

The ISO Forum said that as a major drive in promoting these standards and for effective contribution to the national economy Sri Lanka Association for Quality (SLAQ) ISO Management System Development Programme (ISO MSDP) will promote effective implementation of ISO Management Systems.

For supporting organisations achieving the best results through the implementation of Management Systems based on ISO International standards, SLAQ will select a group of organisations for "SLAQ ISO awards".

This will lead to more organisations making use of these management systems, which had proven success in business improvements in many countries. This will also ensure customers, both local as well as overseas receive products and services of reliable quality. This will make Sri Lankan organisations becoming competitive both at national and international level.

President of SLAQ Dr. Srilal de Silva said that these awards will made to organisations implementing these systems effectively by an independent panel of judges who will look for evidence the effective implementation of these standards and the awards will be made on specific scoring guidelines applicable to each system.

The panel will consist of professionals, academics, representatives from Chambers and also observers from reputed auditing firms.

The three main standards considered for these awards will be ISO 901:2000, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 22000:2005. However the awards for 2006/2007 will cover ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 22000: 2005 will be include in the 2007/2008 programme.

This will enable ISO 22000 certification programme to be adequately established before incorporating into the awards program. Other ISO Management Systems such as Information Security Management Systems (ISO 27001:2005) will also be gradually incorporated in the programme.

(HDS)