Title: ISO 9001:2000 based quality management system via ABET-based accreditation

Authors: D. Thandapani, K. Gopalakrishnan, S.R. Devadasan, C.G. Sreenivasa, R. Murugesh

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, C. Abdul Hakeem College of Engineering and Technology, Melvisharam, Vellore 632509, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Foundation for Educational Excellence, Deccan Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS), Bangalore 560071, Karnataka, India. ' Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641004, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, University B.D.T. College of Engineering, Davangere 577004, Karnataka, India. ' Darshan Institute of Engineering and Technology, Rajkot 363650, Gujarat, India

Abstract: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) brought out the ISO 9000 series Quality Management System (QMS) standards in 1987. Thereafter, ISO also revised the ISO 9000 series standards in 1994 and 2000. Today, it is very difficult to see an industrial organisation which has not obtained ISO 9001:2000 certification. However, the Engineering Educational Institutions (EEIs) which provide human resources under the name |engineers| to the industrial organisations are sluggish in implementing ISO 9001:2000 based QMS. Meanwhile, engineering educational leaders are envisaging the modern EEIs to get accredited to the stipulations of various national and international agencies. This situation warrants an EEI to accredit its programmes with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and then implement ISO 9001:2000 standard. However, this task will consume unaffordably high amount of time and money. To overcome this hurdle, in this paper, a methodology for implementing ISO 9001:2000 standard via ABET-based accreditation in EEIs has been described by presenting an implementation study.

Keywords: ISO 9000 certification; ISO 9001; quality standards; Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology; ABET; engineers; industrial organisations; USA; United States; engineering educational institutions; International Organization for Standardization; standardisation; quality management systems; higher education; engineers; human resources; QMS; national agencies; international agencies; educational programmes; universities; C. Abdul Hakeem College of Engineering and Technology; CAHCET; Melvisharam; Tamil Nadu; India; productivity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2011.038681

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2011 Vol.7 No.2, pp.125 - 147

Published online: 21 Feb 2011 *

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