"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:
 
ASQC
Quality Press
611 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
1-800-248-1946
 
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Mr. Frank has over 20 years experience in the field of quality, primarily in
the area of nuclear quality assurance.  He is currently in Washington, D.C.,
with CER Corporation out of Las Vegas, Nevada.