The following application article is part of a larger set of articles
published under the title ISO 9000 in Scientific
Computing as a special supplement to Scientific Computing & Automation
magazine.
BECKMAN INSTRUMENTS, INC.
Robert L. Jackson, Director of Quality and Process Improvement
"There is no satisfactory substitute for excellence." First
published in 1975 by Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, founder of Beckman Instruments,
Inc., this philosophy has driven the company to look at many different initiatives
to assist in the goal of excelling in every aspect of its operations.
In 1985 President and CEO Louis T. Rosso formulated his search for a concept
that unified the idea of total quality/competitiveness/productivity and
customers. The resulting strategy became a rallying point for Beckman employees
to position Beckman as a leader in the field of Quality Management Systems.
We believe that this distinction is appropriate for a company known as a
global leader in the clinical diagnostics and life sciences markets.
A fundamental initiative in this strategy was the company's Continuous Process
Improvement (CPI) program. This program was supplemented by the Beckman
Quality Supplier program, which was initiated to develop long-term, mutually
beneficial relationships with suppliers by providing them with the tools
and techniques of CPI to improve their own processes.
The progression to ISO 9000 was inevitable and, in 1990, it was adopted
as the minimum accepted standard throughout Beckman. To date, all major
company sites have been registered as complying with the requirements of
ISO 9000.
This foresight was rewarded when European Community (EC) directives, requiring
products to display the CE Mark before being sold within the EC, were introduced.
The directives accept certification of ISO 9000 compliance as a step in
the process of affixing the CE Mark. Today, Beckman products bear the CE
Mark, thus providing the company with a competitive edge over its competition.
But as in all process improvement cycles, this is not the end, but rather
the beginning of the next stage of this never ending pursuit of excellence.