Strategic Business Management Company becomes first U.S. managementconsulting firm to achieve ISO Certification

OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL — April 5, 1996 — Strategic Business Management Company (SBM) is the first U.S. consulting firm to achieve ISO certification under ISO 9002, effective March 20, 1996. This accreditation, which was given by Underwriters Laboratories, acting as the official ISO registrar, distinguishes SBM as the sole business advisory firm of its kind to be in voluntary compliance with the ISO standard.

“We have, up to this point, been helping our clients prepare for compliance with the ISO standards,” said Vivek Singhal, founder and president of SBM. “And this was one of the reasons we at SBM chose to pursue voluntary compliance with ISO and subsequently certification. We believe achieving certification places us in a better position to advise our clients, since we have experienced the full process ourselves.”

“ISO benefits us directly by forcing us to streamline our procedures, along with making sure all of our processes are documented. This gives us a way of evaluating and eliminating the non value-added activities in our business. These new efficiencies we can pass along to our clients in terms of our deliverables. So our clients benefit as well,” according to Singhal.

It has taken SBM approximately nine months to prepare for the audit. Much of the preparation involved documenting all of the processes of the business. This documentation serves as a mechanism to ensure consistency in the quality of the businesses outputs. SBM chose Underwriters Laboratories as their registrar because of UL’s familiarity with the manufacturing industries which SBM serves.

“We like to think we practice what we preach,” says Singhal. “Our clients benefit from the approach we have to our own business. They know we are willing to put ourselves through the same paces, and that since we have, we know how to help them achieve results.”

The audit, which took place on March 5th and 6th of this year, is only the beginning of the ISO process. During the next three years, SBM will be audited regularly at six month intervals to ensure that the organization continues to comply with the standard.

ISO 9002 is one of a family of standards. It represents the Model for Quality Assurance in Production and Installation, and deals in general with quality assurance issues. The ISO 9000 family typically addresses manufacturing environments of both regulated and non-regulated products representing such categories as medical devises, personal protection equipment, construction products, flammable materials and gas appliances, among others. The standards were initially developed and adopted by the European community as a means to harmonize numerous mandatory and voluntary regulations which varied widely from country to country. The standards have paved the way to open trade between members of the European community and global markets.

Since their debut in Europe, the standards have been catching the attention of other world market leaders, including most recently, Japan. In the U.S., the standards have been growing in popularity among companies wanting to establish and maintain strongholds in global markets.

In addition to the ISO certification, SBM also holds certification from the Institute of Management Consultants.

For more information regarding the role standards can play in business performance, contact Strategic Business Management at Two Mid America Plaza, Suite 608, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, or call 630/990-9400.