World’s benchmark quality management systems Standard revised
AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems – Requirements, is now available from Standards New Zealand. The latest edition of the international Standard used by organisations in 175 counties for certification of their quality management systems (QMS), ISO 9001:2008, has been adopted unchanged from the ISO 9001:2008 publication.
Organisations are judged on the quality of their products and services every day – and those judgements determine how well they are meeting the requirements of their customers (including end users). In today's environment, an effective way of achieving high levels of customer satisfaction is critical in order to stay in business.
'The publication of AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 provides a timely opportunity for organisations to ask themselves, "In all the turmoil of doing business today, have we taken our eyes off the ball? Are we still placing the right emphasis on delivering quality service and customer satisfaction every day?" ' ...read more [opens in new window]
Help for exporters – Environmental management and labelling Standards provide credibility
Exporting to environmentally sensitive markets requires that products comply with credible Standards as evidence that they truly meet stated environmental claims. Standards for environmental management and labelling are especially useful for exporters – they provide validation to consumers in export markets while providing confidence for importers to actively promote products to their customers.
Standards New Zealand can provide quick access to the AS/NZS ISO 14000 series covering environmental management, including increasingly important environmental labelling Standards, and to quality management systems Standards.
→ Download a pdf with information about Standards covering environmental management and quality management systems.
Standards New Zealand also offers additional support to help exporters tackle challenging overseas markets: ...[more]
Environmental management – revised vocabulary Standard will help implementation of ISO 14000 family in 12 languages
Environmental management – Vocabulary, ISO 14050:2009, establishes a common vocabulary to help the application of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14000 family on environmental management. The Standard will ensure the effectiveness of communication, which is key for the implementation and operation of environmental management systems (EMS).
The Standard provides clear definitions of all concepts and terms used throughout the ISO 14000 series in the three official ISO languages, English, French, and Russian, as well as in Arabic and Spanish. The Standard also provides equivalent terms in Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swedish.
Advanced video coding MPEG-4 Standard gets Emmy award for innovation
A Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for innovation in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) Standard was presented to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) at an award ceremony in Las Vegas, USA, on 7 January 2009.
The coveted Technology and Engineering Emmy awards of the U.S. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) reward outstanding achievement in engineering and technical development. Launched in 1948, the awards honour development and innovation in broadcast technology and recognise companies, organisations, and individuals for breakthroughs in technology that have a significant effect on television engineering. Award winners are determined by a panel of distinguished professionals in the television, broadcast, and new media arena. ...[more]
Testing laboratories and inspection bodies – new CD collection of ISO/IEC Standards and guides
A new CD is available containing all International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) international Standards and guides for testing laboratories and inspection bodies.
Testing is a major conformity assessment activity and also provides the basis for other conformity assessment processes such as product certification and inspection. Conformity assessment is the process used to demonstrate that products, services, materials, management systems, personnel, and organisations meet specified requirements.
Laboratories and inspection bodies (CD version), ISO/IEC 17025 CD pack, contains 10 Standards and guides (plus a corrigendum). They include the general requirements for laboratories in order for them to be considered competent to carry out testing, calibration, and sampling. These criteria are contained in General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, NZS ISO/IEC 17025:2005. An estimated 40,000 laboratories worldwide are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.
→ Buy NZS ISO/IEC 17025:2005
→ Buy ISO/IEC pack: Laboratories and inspection bodies (CD version)
UPDATE ON STANDARDS IN DEVELOPMENT
Compliance programmes adoption
Committee: P3806
Project manager: Vicki Allison
Estimated publication date: April 2009
Comments: AS 3806 provides principles for the development, implementation and maintenance of effective compliance programmes within both public and private organisations. The purpose of this project is to adopt the Standard for use in New Zealand. Postal ballot for P3806 closed on 25 March. The draft is being edited, and confirmed by the Standards Council, before being published in late April.