In 1993, when we began as American Quality Resources (AQR), our focus was on helping companies maintain registration to the 1987 version of ISO 9000, the International Standard for Quality Management Systems. At the time, the Standard essentially consisted of the development of “the big honkin’ binder” which served as the basis for assessment by the registrar. The Standard required that “…the supplier shall establish and maintain documented procedures for…” a lot of activities that were not value-added processes for most companies. The result was that companies were saddled with a lot of documentation and paperwork. The reputation of ISO 9000 suffered, as it came to be seen as a bureaucratic burden that did not account for the many differences across the industries required to conform to it.

 

In the year 2000, ISO was revolutionized. The focus became “the adoption of a quality management system…that meets the needs and expectations of its customers and other interested parties (people in the organization, suppliers, owners, society), to achieve competitive advantage and to do this in an effective and efficient manner.” Further, the new Standard proceeded to define that the purpose of the organization is to “…achieve, maintain and improve overall organizational performance and capabilities.” With the new direction provided by ISO 9001:2000, we sought to re-evaluate our own business model; the result was AQR's new configuration as Management Systems Improvement, LLC.

 

Now, in addition to reviewing existing processes and helping to institute QMS procedures, we offer a breadth of value-added management and organizational support services that address the nuances of each client’s individual needs. By taking a wider, more objective view of your operation, we bring years of experience and knowledge to help you address operational issues and drive positive, transformative change. That model has worked well for us in the past – now, we’ve expanded our abilities to help strengthen yours.