An Exploratory Study to Examine Relationships Between the Work Environment and Success of ISO 9000 Implementation in the Context of SMEs

The ISO 9000 standards are widely used throughout the world, and are becoming the most important quality standards. Thousands of enterprises all over the world have already adopted these standards, with many more in the process of doing so. A range of benefits can be achieved by the implementation of ISO 9000 standards, such as increased customer satisfaction, reduced defects, improved efficiency of the quality system, and improved market share. However Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face difficulties when implementing ISO 9000 standards. This can be due to employees’ internal resistance to change, paperwork consumption, and high implementation and maintenance costs. Most SMEs are unable to cover the expenses of training and development programmes as a result of restricted financial resources. The managers of SMEs planning to implement ISO 9000 standards and maintain the certification of ISO 9001 standard for long periods should create an empowering work environment in which continuous improvement can take place. The aim of this research is to examine the relationships between the work environment and success of ISO 9000 implementation in the context of SMEs. This study begins with the completion of a comprehensive literature review focused on Enterprise Strategy, ISO 9000 Standards and Organisational Development. The literature review is followed by the research methodology, which illustrates the methods and research tools used to collect data pertinent to this research. These include exploratory survey and case studies which led to the main findings of the research. The collected data have been analysed through the use of Social Package Statistical Software (SPSS) and Microsoft’s Excel software. The findings of this research show that there are critical success factors that impact the work environment. These factors are represented in terms of temperature, noise, job security, individual recognition, salary, reward systems, quality awareness, and relationships. By integrating the literature review and the research findings, a simple work environment model has been devised. This model has been designed with consideration to the combination of factors described in the motivation theories of Maslow and Herzberg, along with health and safety legislations in the work place. This research contributes to the redefinition of the work environment in ISO 9001 standard. The researcher has designed the Work Environment Assessment Guide as a document to aid SMEs in evaluating and subsequently improving their work environment

Higher CMM levels attained by QA certified software developers

[Abstract]: This paper addresses the question: is higher capability maturity associated with adoption of Quality Assurance (QA) certification? To assess the extent of adoption of third-party QA certification by Australian software developers, a survey of 1,000 software developers was recently conducted. The questionnaire also included an assessment of their capability maturity based on the capability maturity model (CMM). Cynics who criticise the value of QA certification may be surprised by the strong association found between adoption of QA certification and capability maturity

Quality Certification and the Economics of Contract Software Development A Study of the Indian Software Industry

A significant amount of software development is being outsourced to countries such as India. Many Indian software firms have applied for and received quality certifications like the ISO9001, and the number of quality certified software firms has steadily increased. Despite its growing popularity among Indian software developers, there is very little systematic evidence on the relationship of ISO certification to organizational performance. Using data on 95 Indian software firms and their US clients, we develop a stylized model of a firm that develops software for others to articulate the different ways in which ISO certification can affect firm profits. We conclude that ISO certification enhances firm growth. The results provide partial support for the proposition that ISO certification also enhances revenue for a given size, suggesting that firms are receiving a higher price per unit of output. In turn, this is consistent with the notion that ISO certification also enhances the quality of output. Our field studies confirm that although most firms see ISO certification as a marketing ploy, some of them do proceed to institute more systematic and better-defined processes for software development.

Traceability system for capturing, processing and providing consumer-relevant information about wood products: System solution and its economic feasibility

Current research and practice reports indicate the existence of purchase barriers concerning eco-friendly products, e.g. wood products. These can be ascribed to consumers' mistrust regarding the non-observable environmental impact of wood products. To counter the mistrust, wood products are commonly endowed with eco-labels, which may be perceived mostly as a marketing tool, therefore not fulfilling their intended purpose. Current studies have shown that providing consumers with wood product information based on traceability systems increases product trust and purchase intentions, with those information items most valued by consumers being identified as well. Based on this, the paper proposes a traceability information system for the capturing, processing, and provision of product information using examples of wood furniture. Furthermore, a cost-benefit model for the proposed solution is developed. The calculations indicate the possibility of implementing traceability at the item level based on a four-layer system architecture enabling the capture and delivery of all information valued by consumers at acceptable costs. The proposed system helps to overcome purchase barriers of eco-friendly products, increasing consumers' product trust and purchase intentions

What are the impacts of implementing ISOs on the competitiveness of manufacturing industry in China?

Based on the proposed ‘PIE’ analytical framework, this paper argues that the preparation, implementation and evaluation of international standards (ISOs) affect the competitiveness of (foreign-financed) export-oriented manufacturing industry in southern and southeastern China, both in the short- and long-term. During the period of preparation, the decision to adopt ISOs is mainly driven by market demand and/or by the decisions of established competitors. Negative effects due to the diversion of scarce resources and institutional resistance to change during the period of transitional implementation are offset by the overall enhancement of the firm's productivity in the long run. ‘Tailoring for the external audit’ and ‘second-best’ practices are two strategies commonly employed by Chinese firms to lower the transaction costs involved in ISO audits

Understanding the perception of very small software companies towards the adoption of process standards

This paper is concerned with understanding the issues that affect the adoption of software process standards by Very Small Entities (VSEs), there needs from process standards and there willingness to engage with the new ISO/IEC 29110 standard in particular. In order to achieve this goal, a series of industry data collection studies were undertaken with a collection of VSEs. A twin track approach of a qualitative data collection (interviews and focus groups) and quantitative data collection (questionnaire), with data analysis being completed separately and finally results merged, using the coding mechanisms of grounded theory. This paper serves as a roadmap for both researchers wishing to understand the issues of process standards adoption by very small companies and also for the software process standards community

The Organization of New Service Development in the USA and UK

We understand a great deal about the organization and management of new product development in the manufacturing sector, but we know relatively little about how applicable this research and practice is to the service sector. In this paper we introduce and test a framework for managing new product development in services. This framework is derived and tested by analyzing 108 service firms in a combined US and UK dataset, and then each national sub-sample separately. Our results generally support the predictive capability of the framework, and suggest that the development strategy, processes, organization and tools derived from manufacturing, specially those of concurrent engineering, are applicable to services. However, the framework better fits the US than UK data, which may question the notion of a 'best practice' applicable to different contexts.product development, services, concurrent engineering, simultaneous development

ISO roadmap for software products

The complex nature of ISO 9001 standards has been an obvious limitation for implementation. ISO 9001 accreditation provides external and internal advantages. The external benefits include increased market access and customer confidence. The internal advantages include quality improvements in both the product and process. However, this research demonstrates that the current ISO guideline for software products has not completely fulfilled the expectations in its implementation within the software organisation. Numerous companies are experiencing difficulties with ISO implementation and maintenance. Based on the analysis provided by this research, poor communication and an unsystematic approach were identified as the main current problems associated with ISO implementation. In addition, it also shows that the organisations often underestimate internal organisation factors, such as resistance to change. The existing difficulties in maintaining applied quality systems have resulted in a lack of control and monitoring. This thesis introduces an ISO Roadmap and corresponding Checklist for software products. The main goal of this ISO Roadmap is to provide enhanced transparency and assistance in the application of ISO 90003:2004 in order to make ISO implementation more manageable, visible and understandable for all people involved within the organisation. The result of this research provides the software industry with an initial step towards better systematisation and control for ISO implementations. This should help the software industry to better navigate through the ‘ISO jungle’ and facilitate an improved approach for implementation and maintenance activities. This research relied heavily on the development of the literature review, ISO 90003 standards, and knowledge from interviewees ... [cont.]