ISO Audits Made Easy

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The Business Edge^TM by Computer Insights, Inc. is an ERP software system that allows distributors of fasteners and industrial supplies to do more, in less time, with fewer people. Their fastener industry focus makes the difference. The Business Edge^TM helps companies across the United States and Canada, ranging from four employees to over 500.

The Business Edge™ Quality System Module

The Business Edge^TM Quality System Module, in conjunction with documentConnection™ and the Certificate Management Module, all combine to create a powerful tool for maintaining records for a Quality System.

documentConnection™
Integrated Electronic Document System

documentConnection™ is a fully integrated system module that offers electronic storage of documents and records captured from drag-n-drop, scanning, and inbound faxes. Easily assign documents to specific customers, vendors, products, sales orders, purchase orders, etc. The system allows instant retrieval of the documents during any related inquiry. During an ISO quality audit, you can show the auditor the paperwork without having to find it in a physical file drawer. Once a document is associated with any record, they are attached forever, eliminating frantic searches for a missing piece of paper.

Monitoring & Measuring Resources
ISO 9001:2015 §7.1.5.1 and 7.1.5.2

The Business Edge^TM maintains records of each measuring device. Based on the measuring device type, the system alerts the quality manager if a device needs calibration soon. Calibrations can either be internal calibrations (using another calibrated device to do specific measurements) or done by an outside vendor. When performed internally, the system allows quick input of the measurement in and out for the planned points of the device type. When performed by an outside vendor, the vendor’s certificate is saved in documentConnection™ and linked to the calibrated devices.

Product Specifications
ISO 9001:2015 §8.1, §8.2.2 and §7.5.2

Creating and controlling product specifications in The Business Edge^TM is easy and allows all users to see the product requirements instantly. Only reviewed product specifications can be seen and printed by users. The Business Edge^TM maintains a revision history. Each attribute is defined by the client and used in the product specification. Specifications are a range, number, text, or lookup list.

Inspections
ISO 9001:2015 §8.5.1 and §8.6

The system can force the creation of inspections during the receiving process using the product specification. Attributes can be inspected as a range, number, or pass/fail. Each product is tagged whether someone should review it. When a receiving inspection fails, the system automatically creates a problem document to alert the vendor of the non-conformance.

Vendor Requirements
ISO 9001:2015 §8.4

The Business Edge^TM tags each vendor with their status and keeps an audit log every time the status changes. Any vendor tagged with “Removed/Not Active” or “Quality Suspended’ cannot have a purchase order assigned. Along with printing the product specification on the purchase order, documentConnection™ can attach saved product specifications to the purchase order. Suppose a product drawing fits many products (for instance, MS standards). In that case, documentConnection™ assigns the drawing to a Document Group, and the related products are added to the Document Group. Document Groups can be associated with products individually or by matching the first part of the product code.

Problem Documents & Reporting
ISO 9001:2015 §10.2, §9.1.3 and §9.3.2

Non-conformances are an easy way to record pertinent information about minor customer complaints without taking corrective action while maintaining full traceability and cross-indexing with the product, customer, vendor, purchase order, sales order, etc. These are all reviewable during the Management Review process and when looking at areas that need improvement. Corrective Actions have traceability and cross-indexing and require root cause analysis; they can define short-term actions and implement a long-term action, along with a review of the effectiveness of the long-term action. These documents can be used to record internal problems or assigned to an external vendor and used as a vendor corrective action request. The Business Edge™ notifies the Quality Manager and appointed user of the problem document that will be due soon – this includes waiting for responses from internal employees, a response from a vendor, or needing to follow up on the problem document to verify the action’s effectiveness.

The Pareto Report based on Problem Documents helps quickly review where problems happen and what type of problems occur. The Pareto analysis includes three categories: Type of Document, Where the Problem is Found, and the Product Category.

When setting up The Business Edge™, the client enters a standard list of where problems are found and categories for the problem documents. Each group on the report has a drill-down capability, which allows further analysis and review of specific issues.

Vendor Scorecard
ISO 9001:2015 §8.4 and §9.1.3

The Vendor Scorecard report allows analysis of vendor performance over a specified date range. The system can summarize vendor performance by using The Business Edge™ for daily tasks such as purchasing and receiving. Drilling into a specific vendor shows the vendor’s details and options for viewing individual performance and problem documents.

Customer Scorecard
ISO 9001:2015 §9.2.1 and §9.1.3

The Business Edge™ reports on on-time delivery and customer complaints by employees doing their daily assignments. The system tracks on-time delivery based on invoice, on-time delivery per invoice line, items returned, and problems reported. Drilling into a specific customer shows all the detail lines shipped to that customer, allowing insight into which things were late and required attention during management review.

What People Are Saying

“The Business Edge™ provides our organization with the foundation to manage risk throughout our entire operation. As a dual-certified AS9100/ISO9001 value-added distributor, FTS utilizes many tools within the software to ensure we maintain compliance with the standards while enhancing our ability to design and follow robust processes. Once the hard controls are in place, The Business Edge™ enables us to focus on our core competency and adapt to the ever-changing needs of our customers. Processes are linked from macro to micro levels, making audits extremely efficient and transparent. Enhanced reporting, unlimited metrics, BOM utilization, certificate management, print/revision control, and security are only some of the features of TBE that help guide our QMS. More importantly, the team at The Business Edge™ is constantly pushing the limits of today’s ERP solution through countless upgrades while utilizing other Best Practices from their network to improve their software, making The Business Edge™ a valuable, strategic partner for our continued success.”
Michael Delis, Director @ Fastener Tool & Supply

“Mechanical Power has received upgraded ISO 9001:2015 accreditation confirming our commitment to quality management and exceptional service delivery to our customers and stakeholders. The certification process is not a one-time event but rather a continuous process of improvement; the organization will be required to undergo regular surveillance audits to ensure that it meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 standard. Integrated features in The Business Edge™ by Computer Insights, Inc. helps Mechanical Power keep things organized and save time.”
Daniel Szwed, Marketing Manager @ Mechanical Power, Inc.

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For more information about The Business Edge^TM contact Dennis Cowhey, President, Computer Insights, Inc. 108 Third Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. Tel: (800) 539-1233, email: sales@ci-inc.com or visit them online at www.ci-inc.com.