Mireaux Management Solutions is pleased to announce that Westlake Vinyls Company LP has signed with Mireaux for assistance with achieving ISO 9001 certification for their Geismar, LA Manufacturing plant. A subsidiary of Westlake Chemical, Westlake Vinyls – Geismar manufactures and supplies polyvinyl chloride resin, vinyl chloride monomer, and various other vinyls that are key ingredients in some of the world’s most prevalent products, including bottles, credit cards and PVC pipe.
Mireaux and the management of Westlake Vinyls – Geismar will work together to train employees, develop processes, procedures, and documentation, help implement systems to meet all requirements of the standard and conduct internal audits to ensure full compliance, all using Mireaux’s proven consulting approach. The quality management system will be organized with the Web QMS enterprise management software. Both companies anticipate that by the end of 2013, Westlake Vinyls – Geismar will be a part of Mireaux’s 100% success rate in helping clients achieve ISO 9001 certification.
Supreme Integrated Technology (S.I.T.) has engaged Mireaux Management Solutions for turnkey assistance with quality management system implementation with the goal of achieving ISO 9001 certification. A member of the Employee Owned Holdings family of companies, S.I.T. provides hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical engineering and fabrication services to the marine and manufacturing industries.
Mireaux will be working with S.I.T. to train employees, develop processes, procedures, and documentation, help implement systems to meet all requirements of the standard and conduct internal audits to ensure full compliance. S.I.T. chose to work with Mireaux not only because of Mireaux's proven consulting approach, but also because of the benefits offered by the Web QMS enterprise management software, which will be implemented at all Employee Owned Holdings facilities this year. Both companies are very excited about the work ahead, and look forward to adding Supreme Integrated Technology to Mireaux's 100% successfully certified clients.
In this world, there are two types of organizations: those that are ISO certified, and those that want to be. Which one is your organization?
We ARE ISO 9001 certified!
It is with great honor and pleasure that I announce that Mireaux Management Solutions has become one of the few consulting firms in the world to be ISO 9001 certified. This truly is a testament to our commitment not only to promote the benefits of the standard but also to reap those benefits ourselves. No matter how many companies we had helped in the past, or how many companies we were currently helping to become certified, as long as we ourselves were not certified, we were on the outside looking in. Now we can truly understand our clients and help them improve their processes with a much deeper understanding of their needs.
The journey
We first considered becoming certified ourselves a few years ago. The more we grew as a company, the more it became evident that we were subject to the same forces as our clients; we needed to create consistent processes that not only could be repeated time and again, but that also could be easily passed to new employees. The idea that only one consultant could have the know-how was no longer viable if Mireaux was to grow.
So, we decided to certify our 4 business units: Consulting, Internal Auditing, Training, and our enterprise management software, Web QMS. It was a lot of effort, almost like building houses during the day for other people and then going home and building our own. But our team was ready, and so we did it. Now we not only preach it and teach it, we also live it!
Starting in 2013, we ARE ISO certified. Are you ready to join us?
Mireaux Management Solutions believes the ISO standards are a great asset to any company; that’s why we decided to go through the ISO 9001 certification process ourselves. Our next goal is to add the ISO 27001 standard to our certification, in order to solidify our commitment to information security as part of our Web QMS software. If your company has been thinking about becoming ISO certified, but has some doubts, you can count on Mireaux Management Solutions as one of the most reputable consulting firms in the US and the world to help you meet your ISO needs!
Langham Creek Machine Works, Inc. (LCMW) has chosen Mireaux Management Solutions to assist them with the implementation of an ISO 9001 compliant quality management system, with a certification target date of June 2013. In business in the Houston area for over 20 years, LCMW is a family owned and operated company which machines parts and assemblies for the oilfield industry.
Using Mireaux's proven consulting approach and Web QMS enterprise management software, Mireaux will be working with LCMW to train employees, formalize processes, procedures and documentation, help implement systems to meet all requirements of the standard, and conduct internal audits to ensure full compliance. Both companies look forward to adding LCMW to Mireaux's 100% success rate in client certification.
Mireaux Management Solutions' President Miriam Boudreaux recently appeared on Quality Digest Live to discuss her article "Antithesis of a Politician: The Good Quality Professional" with hosts Mike Richman and Dirk Dusharme. In the interview, Miriam, Mike, and Dirk discussed what politicians can learn from quality workers - and what quality workers can learn from other professions.
Good quality professionals are constantly looking for the root cause of issues, to nip problems in the bud. However, as Miriam, Mike, and Dirk pointed out, politicians are constrained by their electoral mandates, which usually demand quick fixes that don't go beyond the surface causes of problems. On the other hand, quality professionals can be linear in their thinking. By adopting the mindset of a more creative professional, such as an artist, a quality professional can free herself up to find out-of-the-box solutions to tough problems.
The interview is available here, on YouTube, and on the Quality Digest site.
Mireaux Management Solutions, a leading Technology and Consulting firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, has signed a contract agreement with BSI to become certified to the ISO 9001 standard.
In seeking certification, Mireaux’s ultimate goal is to position itself ahead of the competition by ensuring that their own management system follows the requirements of the standards they constantly promote. Mireaux is currently ranked as a high-end ISO consulting firm, providing real consultancy services rather than the typical get-ISO-certified-quick or ISO-window-dressing schemes.
Mireaux Management Solutions’ President Miriam Boudreaux said it was a difficult process to find the right registrar, and confessed it was not easy to suddenly find themselves in their client’s shoes.
“For years, we’ve helped organizations pick an ISO registrar to match their culture and needs, and for years we saw how complex and tedious the process seemed," Ms. Boudreaux said. "Having to go through the process of selecting an ISO Registrar ourselves gave us a firsthand look at how much variation and frustration can occur in this process. Overall, we used this exercise not only to be able to provide better insights to our clients regarding ISO Registrar selection, but also as a tool to train our staff in the very activities we consult for.”
In fact, Mireaux’s staff was so diligent in their efforts to find an ISO Registrar to match their needs, they recorded all their interactions, and have published a review of the contending ISO Registrars that provides a rare inside glimpse of the selection process. The ins and outs of their pursuit of the perfect ISO Registrar can be found at Mireaux’s ISO Vanguard Blog: Mano a Mano: Our Quest of the Registrars.
As Boudreaux puts it, “This is like taking some of the same medicine we’ve been giving our clients for years. We didn’t just want to tell our clients to do as we say, not as we do. But we did that when it comes to ISO implementation, the process is easier said than done. Luckily for us, we have the knowledge and our Web QMS application, which helps us a great deal.”
For insight into Mireaux’s ISO implementation journey, check out Miriam Boudreaux’s ISO Vanguard blog series “ISO is Easier Said than Done” or follow the Mireaux team’s quest for certification at LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
Mireaux’s office staff ventured out of the office for some fun, food, and good old-fashioned team bonding at the Houston Rockets game on the twelfth of October. Everyone had a great time watching the Rockets squash the Hornets 95-75 in their first match-up of the preseason.
“It was really fun to go out and do something together – and learn that my boss used to play basketball!” said Amy Tanguay, a technical writer. “This was my first time at a basketball game!”
“For me, the most exciting part was seeing Jeremy Lin in person,” said Tech Support Jing Yang. “I’d seen him online, but it’s not the same.”
The outing was the first of hopefully many fun events for Team Mireaux!
Veolia Environmental Services North America - Offshore Marine Division -a designer and installer of subsea equipment providing project management, project engineering, ROV, Diving and marine services- has engaged Mireaux Management Solutions for turnkey assistance with ISO 9001:2008 implementation with the goal of achieving ISO 9001 certification by April 2013. Using Mireaux's proven consulting approach and Web QMS enterprise management software, Mireaux will be working with Veolia Environmental Services North America - Offshore Marine Division to train employees, develop processes, procedures and documentation, help implement systems to meet all requirements of the standard and conduct internal audits to ensure full compliance. Both companies are very excited about the work ahead, and look forward to adding Veolia Environmental Services North America - Offshore Marine Division to Mireaux's 100% successfully certified clients.
Mireaux Management Solutions concluded its last public training courses of 2012 at the end of September with its QMS Internal Auditor training course and ISMS Internal Auditor training course. Newly revamped for these sessions, the courses incorporated Mireaux’s four-point approach to management systems, focusing on what the standard says, what it actually means, how to apply it within your organization, and how to audit against it. Mireaux also added improved training materials and a new, more rigorous course evaluation, designed to test attendees’ knowledge and at the same time validate the effectiveness of its courses.
Both the ISMS course and the QMS course were very successful. Attendees were engaged and energetic throughout the sessions. “I’ve been through several ISO courses through the years, and this was the best,” said Michelle Trobaugh of Veolia ES Offshore Marine Division, an attendee at the QMS course. “It was easy to follow and very practical.”
Attendees were also very impressed by the quality of the training facilities at Le Mistral and by the award-winning French cuisine. "I loved the lunches," said Jodi Ponce of OMNI Flow Computers.
Mireaux plans to run more sessions of QMS and ISMS Internal Auditor training in the new year, as well as our new Integrated Management Systems course.
For more information, or to schedule an on-site course for your company, please call us at 713-589-4680 or email us directly at info@mireauxms.com.
Mireaux Management Solutions' President Miriam Boudreaux recently appeared on Quality Digest Live to discuss her article "Our ISO Management Rep is Leaving the Company: Should I Call 911?" with hosts Mike Richman and Dirk Dusharme. In the interview, Miriam advised Mike, Dirk, and their viewers to avoid designing management systems that depend too much on any one person's control.
Decentralized management systems don't just let organizations avoid disaster if a key employee leaves; they also promote a sense of ownership and encourage all employees to actively participate in the continual improvement goal of the company.
Almost nine months after starting their ISO journey, Mireaux Management Solutions’ client TransPac Aviation Academy has successfully been recommended for ISO 9001 Certification. A great accomplishment was achieved, with zero nonconformities after 7 audit man-days. "[Is a] rare event seen on an initial audit on my last 18 years of auditing" were comments from the DNV Lead Auditor who also pointed out that "[TransPac] understood the standard well and applied it".
Mireaux worked very diligently with TransPac to develop an integrated ISO 9001 and ACCET compliant quality management system from the ground up to satisfy the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard as well as the requirements from the ACCET Accreditation Board.
As one of the largest flight schools in the United States, employing over 300 people, TransPac’s scope involved not only the provision of flight training but also included the design and development of training courses and training materials, student services, housing, transportation, aircraft maintenance, and safety. TransPac’s QMS had to be robust enough to cope with the challenges of such a complex and regulated organization but also had to be simple enough for people to use it. Mireaux’s Web QMS software played a critical role in helping TransPac organize their documents and processes to achieve certification. In particular, the Master Documents and CIP applications in conjunction with Mireaux’s Technical Writing and Document Control services were essential to ensure that the project ran on schedule.
Mireaux Management Solutions is pleased to announce that Miriam Boudreaux, its President, is scheduled to speak at the 2012 Underwater Intervention Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 24, 2012.
Miriam’s presentation will focus on using Quality Management Systems to improve Diving Operations. Miriam will emphasize the benefits of implementing a management system in a Diving organization and will explain how to get a Quality/Safety Management System off the ground.
As the leading ISO Consulting firm, Mireaux Management Solutions provides Consulting, Training, Internal Auditing and the Web QMS to organizations seeking to improve.
Underwater Intervention is the combined annual conference of the Association of Diving Contractors International and The Marine Technology Society's ROV Committee Underwater Intervention © It will be held at the Ernest N. Moril Convention Center from January 24 through January 26, 2012. For more information about this conference or to register, please visit the Underwater Intervention Conference website .
To read more about Miriam’s session, please click here.
The Houston Business Journal ranked Mireaux Management Solutions N. 1 on its list of Woman-Owned Business based on 2010 Local Gross revenues.
Despite of the economy being in recovery mode in 2010, Mireaux Management Solutions managed to come out in winning mode out of 2009 and had a superb year in 2010. The success had by Mireaux is attributed to a very disciplined approach followed by the Mireaux team accross all its Business Units.
Although Mireaux Management Solutions has always offered Consulting, Training, Auditing Services and the Web QMS software, Consulting was always the major source of income. "That was a really good strategy to get the company going and support our software development costs without borrowing money. However starting in 2010 we saw all our Business Units grow and a significant shift to the Web QMS Enterprise Management Software was palpable. We are obviously extremely happy with the results as we see a momentum in the software and to date we have been able to solely sustain development costs without the need to seek capital investment and we don't see that need in the near future either. ", adds Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux. The model for Mireaux's Web QMS Enterprise Management System is very simple and uses the latest technology therefore making it extremely robust and cost effective for any size company large, medium or small.
To view the whole article and list visit the Houston Business Journal 10/15 Edition online.
The Houston Business Journal ranked Mireaux Managemenmat Solutions N. 23 on its list of Largest Houston-area Information Technology consultants ranked by 2010 Local Gross revenues.
Miriam Boudreaux, Founder and President of Mireaux Management Solutions added "Last year [2010] was definitely a great year and we are very excited at making this list. Many changes in our business that started in 2008 finally begin to pay of by mid 2009 and by 2010 we knew we had made the right decisions.
We provide our clients with superior Consulting advice, thorough and in-depth Auditing, top notch and rich training sessions and a state of the art Enterprise Management System software -Web QMS. Our growth is not an accident but rather a convergence of effort, excellence and attention to detail. We are delighted to be recognized in this large city of Houston and vow to continue to move forward helping our clients achieve their own management system and certification objectives."
To view the whole article and list visit the Houston Business Journal 9/1 Edition.
Miriam Boudreaux was selected as one of the members of the ISO 9000 International Conference committee, the world's leading conference on ISO 9000 standards.
The conference is its 20th year and Miriam has participated various times as a technical and workshop speaker. This year the conference theme is Integrate Your Management System for Success. It will be held February 26-28, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida.
Miriam is scheduled to present two technical sessions regarding the CIP approach to continual improvement and advanced auditing techniques. Miriam will also hold a special session; workshop for a Certified Quality Manager refresher based on the Manager of Quality/Excellence Body of Knowledge. For more information about this great event or to register please visit the ISO 9000 International Conference website.
Mireaux se convirtio en miembro de la Camara de Empresarios Latinos de Houston para ofrecer a la comunidad y negocios de origen latino apoyo con la certification ISO 9001, ISO 27001 y otros servicios para mejorar sus operaciones.
Mireaux Management Solutions joined the Houston Latin Business Chamber to support the latin community and businesses with ISO 9001 or ISO 27001 certification or other continual improvement needs.
La Misión de la Cámara es la de promover y apoyar el desarrollo de las empresas de sus afiliados dentro y fuera de los Estados Unidos, así como representar y defender los derechos de sus asociados.
The mission of the Chamber is to promote and support the development of its affiliated businesses inside and outside the United States, while representing and defending the rights of its associates.
Mireaux's President Miriam Boudreaux appears in the June issue of Enterprising Women Magazine as part of an elite group of women who were honored in the 2011 Year Awards. Miriam received an honorable mention along with other women who are successful in their industry.
In the magazine, Miriam was quoted with a helpful advice to other women or small business owners looking to start their own business or looking to expand. Her advice was to not be shy against the competition and assume that the market does not need your business. If you believe in the goodness of products and services then you will succeed.
Mireaux Management Solutions started in 2001 after the stock market bubble collapse. Even though she had always interacted with male, professionals, consultants and auditors, she decided to enter the field, mainly because she thought "she had a nack for giving advice in a very humble yet persuasive way". As a consultant her approach of being humble has continued to help her succeed. She recognizes that as a consultant she is not an expert on anybody's own industry, but she can apply her own expertise to ensure that organizations know effective ways to implement good processes.
Panasonic Disc Manufacturing Corporation of America (PDMC) achieved ISO 27001 Certification after several months of successfully working with Mireaux Management Solutions to address and meet all the requirements of the strict Information Security Management System standard ISO 27001.
Mireaux's assistance to PDMC encompassed training in the ISO 27001 standard as well as asisstance with all aspects of the ISO implementation process, which includesd addressing the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard itself plus the 133 controls of Annex A. Mireaux's President added "Information Security has become an important aspect of our world and companies like Panasonic are taken the lead in ensuring that formal Information Security Management programs are implemented as part of their operations".
To review PDMC's testimonial please click here.
Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions, was a speaker at the ISO 9000 World Conference held in San Antonio, TX on March 15, 2011. Her speech was an in depth view of how world-class organizations achieve a Quality Management System that complies with the ISO Principles. She showed point by point, a comparison between the status quo exhibited by organizations doing the bare minimum vs. those who meet the requirements with the highest degree of effectivenesss. Miriam's speech was well received and she got many praises for her down to earth talk.
The Team Mireaux displayed a booth in San Antonio at the ISO 9000 World Conference and rubbed shoulders with ASQ, ABS and software competitors. "We took this opportunity to reach those individuals who are way up on the quality journey as well as those who are just starting, and provided them with an insight of our services that can bring significant value to their organizations", Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions commented.
Overall it was a great week, full of valuable information brought by various speakers, one of whom was Miriam herself. Miriam is now part of the ISO conference committee and will be involved in next year's event. See you in Orlando in 2012!
7 Tips for rating suppliers and vendors - Miriam Boudreaux gets quoted extensively by a recent article on Inc. Magazine.  The article explains the best practices and approach for determining if a certain vendor or supplier is right for you.  Miriam Boudreaux shows off her practical advice to organizations seeking to do a better job at picking the right partners.  Read more about the article at Inc. Magazine site.
Mireaux Management Solutions just announced that Miriam Boudreaux is scheduled to speak at the 2011 Underwater Intervention Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana February 22-24, 2011.
With this and other recent speaking engagements, Mireaux is gaining exposure as the Leading ISO Consulting firm and provider of Training, Internal Auditing and the Web QMS.
Underwater Intervention is the combined annual conference of the Association of Diving Contractors International and the The Marine Technology Society's ROV Committee Underwater Intervention ©.
2011 ENTERPRISING WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Enterprising Women has named the 2011 winners of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award and Mireaux Management Solution's President, Miriam Boudreaux has been recognized for Honorable Mention. Miriam and many others distinguished women, will be recognized at a gala dinner held in their honor during the 9th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration, March 10-11, 2011 at the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida.
To learn more about this Award Celebration and register to the event, please click here.
Miriam Boudreaux will be the keynote speaker at the monthly ASQ Greater Houston section 1405 on January 20th, 2011. Register for this great dinner and learning event to secure your seat at the ASQ section site. The abstract of the presentation follows.
Mireaux Management Solutions will have its own Booth at the 19th International ISO 9000 Conference March 13-15, 2011 in San Antonio, TX! We will be showing the Web QMS including all its dynamic applications and the benefits that organizations can see when they implement Quality Management Systems based on the Web QMS.
Miriam Boudreaux will be a speaker at the conference on the track session #9 focused on World Class Quality and Continual Improvement. Her session is titled "A Quality Management System Based on the ISO Principles: That's What I Call World Class Quality". You can download the full ISO Conference brochure at the link here.
To register to the Conference please visit the ISO 9000 Conference page.
Mireaux Management Solutions is a consulting firm located in Houston, TX, dedicated to ISO Consulting, Internal Audits, Training and the implementation of the Web QMS. The Web QMS is a platform which includes applications to handle Calibration, Corrective/Preventive actions (CIP), NCR, E-Learning and Employee Certifications.
In what would seem an impossible taks, Mireaux Management Solutions announced that it successfully helped its client LaBarge Coating/Socotherm LaBarge achieve ISO 9001:2008 certification in less than 3 months.
Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions commented: "This was definitely not your one-man job, this was a concerted effort between our client and our team who worked hand in hand to ensure that every task was completed. The project started with a detail plan and Gantt Chart of all the required tasks. We also made sure that we had the commitment from the Registrar for all stage audits. Once we had our deadlines set, we formed our dedicated team to conduct various functions, including deploying and supporting the Web QMS, conducting all Document Control functions and performing on-site consulting. Our team worked relentlessly to support our client on a full time basis. Our Web QMS applications for Calibration, CIP (Corrective/Preventive Action), NCR and Online Training were quickly put to use and training was done either online or on site. By working together in the establishment of objectives, conducting the management review and basically ensuring that all requirements of the standard were met, we were able to execute all deliverables and ensure our client receive recommendation on the day of the Stage 2 audit".
Mireaux Management Solutions was confirmed today as the recipient of the 2010 "Pride of Peru" award given annually to Peruvians who have emigrated and built a successful enterprise.
The Award seeks to recognize Peruvians who live abroad for their hard work and successes in their careers and business ventures, thus showing social responsibility as an immigrant. The Award's goal is also to thank them for doing an outstanding job representing Peru in the highest standards of work and good practices.
Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions will travel to Peru in October to receive the Award. The week-long activities prepared by the committee kick-off with a visit to the Presidential Palace to meet the President of Peru and culminates with an Award Gala held at the JW Marriot in Miraflores.
The 2010 Pride of Peru Award is sponsored by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism, the Peruvian Parliament Women Assembly and the Congressional Committee of Foreign Relations.
Mireaux Management Solutions announced today that Miriam Boudreaux, its President, had been chosen as one of the nominees for NAWBO Houston’s Woman Business Owner’s of the Year.
Miriam has been asked to attend NAWBO's meeting in September to allow her to tell her story to the organization and the board of directors. Miriam commented "I'm honored with such a nomination and it proves that hard work and quality work do get recognize. Thanks to all of our clients for allowing us to help them achieve their improvement efforts."
The final vote on the Woman Business Owner of the Year award will be announced by NAWBO at a later date.
NAWBO® - National Association of Women Business Owners is the only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs in all industries. Joining NAWBO now gives you the opportunity to network with women business owners in Houston and across the United States.
Mireaux Management Solutions, an ISO Consulting firm headquartered in Houston, TX, announced today that its client, the Offshore Division of TETRA Technologies, Inc., had obtained ISO 9001:2008 Certification by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an Internationally Accredited Registrar. The certification includes the Project Management and Support Functions at The Woodlands Corporate Office, as well as functions of the division’s business segment, EPIC Divers and Marine, located in Harvey, LA.
After five months of preparation that culminated in a comprehensive audit, including a visit to one of the diving vessels, TETRA Offshore Services demonstrated to have implemented a robust Quality Management System that met the needs of its diverse operations. Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions, commented on the success: "TETRA Offshore Services and EPIC Divers and Marine, were definitely one of our largest implementations and Web QMS deployments in the shortest time, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our consulting approach, as well as the efficacy and ability of our Web QMS to sustain serious use. This aggressive timeline could not have been met without the full commitment of top management, which our client excelled at. With their commitment, we were able to help develop an efficient Quality Management System that not only represented the true processes of the company, but one that all employees identified with, embraced and that, ultimately, will continue to be used as a tool for continual improvement."
Mireaux's consulting approach started with a series of process mapping sessions to ensure that processes across the division and business unit level were aligned. After the procedure development phase, a series of informal assessments were conducted to train and probe the system prior to conducting the Internal Audit. Parallel to these actions, e-Learning sessions, along with online tests, were developed regarding the ISO 9001 standard, as well as the Quality Policy, the Web QMS and the CIP tool for continual improvement. After the Management Review was conducted with widespread attendance, TETRA Offshore Services and EPIC Divers and Marine were ready for the External Audit with all of their bases meticulously covered.
The Web QMS deployed at TETRA Offshore Services and EPIC Divers and Marine included a complete document management system to handle everything from procedures and forms to internal and external audit records, job descriptions, etc., a Calibration application, an e-Learning and Events application and a Corrective and Preventive action application ("CIP") able to handle customer complaints, audit findings, management review action items, etc. The entire system is truly web-based, allowing for online access—anytime, anywhere by all employees.
Mireaux Management Solutions will continue to assist TETRA Offshore Services as they plan to expand their ISO 9001:2008 Certification to include their Abandonment and Construction business segment in the following months. You can find more information about Mireaux Management Solutions and their Web QMS platform at www.mireauxms.com.
Despite the so called near-depression situation in the U.S. during 2009, Mireaux Management Solutions announced that 2009 was their best year, with record sales that demonstrates the business model and Web QMS platform are a winning combination.
Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions, commented on the great news: "Our successful business approach to consulting paired with our great Web Quality Management System platform have proven to be a winning combination for us. Two years ago we made the decision to redesign our Web QMS platform in order to position ourselves for hosting as well as to offer a high-end QMS application without the high-end price. Our consulting approach however remained the same -helping our clients every-step-of their ISO certification process. The results are a winning combination, that has not only helped our clients become ISO 9001 certified, but has also helped them improve their processes by adding significant value, streamlining their operations and reducing non value add. We are definitely encouraged by the numbers and hope to be able to continue to grow as a company who prides itself in making organizations be better and improve."
Miriam also pointed out that they saw significant growth in all their service arms, including ISO consulting, ISO Training, Internal Auditing and Web-Based QMS, which is now exclusively hosted by Mireaux. Miriam added "Our move to begin hosting our clients' Web QMS was very risky at first, but this area has definitely helped attract and retain our clients as we become their supplier of choice for all their Quality Management System needs. Our hosting solutions enjoy a 4-9 uptime (99.99%) and therefore gives us and our clients the confidence that they can have a state-of-the art solution without adding burden to their IT department or hiring more personnel".
Finally, when asked about what the projections for 2010 were, Miriam was very firm in pointing out "We are already on track to beat 2009 sales given our current signed contract agreements, so in other words...another record year for us in the horizon".
In order to share its vast knowledge and insight in the world of ISO standards and certification, electronic Quality Management Systems and Information Security, Mireaux has started the ISO Vanguard Blog.
Miriam Boudreaux from Mireaux Management Solutions added "Our main objective is to be able to share our knowledge and experience in the ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 standards, QMS and ISMS and distribute it in a series of articles in our blog, where people can have access to, read and even comment on these articles. Our mission is to help companies excel through the use of ISO standards, and whether they use our products and services or not, we want to help them continually improve."
You can read the following great articles at the ISO Vanguard Blog:
Mireaux Management Solutions, a business specializing in, ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 implementation, received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the WBEA, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC’s national standard of certification implemented by the WBEA is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations, and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor diversity programs. To learn more about Mireaux Management Solutions, please visit www.mireauxms.com. About WBENC The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs.
Mireaux announced that it had obtained certification by the Houston Minority Business Council as a Minority Business Enterprise and signal this as a first step to increase and expand business opportunities and business growth.
Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux Management Solutions, indicated that the achievement of the certification is a step in the right direction for the corporation and in line with the business' strategic plans. Miriam added: "By becoming an MBE, we believe that the opportunities that will become available to us, will be critical to our business growth. We look at this certification as a way to open doors of Supplier Diversity Programs established by major corporations and companies who believe in the knowledge, energy and high capabilities that companies like us have to offer. We are very pleased by this and hope to use the program to its full extent in order to achieve our goals."
About HMBC
Established in 1973, the HMBC is a non-profit organization for minority businesses and major corporations interested in establishing relationships with minority entrepreneurs and helping them to successfully grow their businesses. Included in the membership of HMBC are more than 220 major corporations and more than 900 minority businesses.
ISO 9001:2008, Quality management system – Requirements, is the fourth edition of the standard first published in 1987 and which has become the global benchmark for providing assurance about the ability to satisfy quality requirements and to enhance customer satisfaction in supplier-customer relationships. ISO 9001:2008 contains no new requirements compared to the 2000 edition, which it replaces. It provides clarifications to the existing requirements of ISO 9001:2000 based on eight years’ experience of implementing the standard worldwide and introduces changes intended to improve consistency with the environmental management system standard, ISO 14001:2004. Although certification of conformity to ISO 9001 is not a requirement of the standard, it is frequently used in both public and private sectors to increase confidence in the products and services provided by certified organizations, between partners in business-to-business relations, in the selection of suppliers in supply chains and in the right to tender for procurement contracts. Up to the end of December 2007, at least 951 486 ISO 9001:2000 certificates had been issued in 175 countries.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced a plan to ensure a smooth transition to the upcoming revision of the ISO 9001 standard or ISO 9001:2008. ISO 9001:2008 is scheduled for release in October 31, 2008 and will replace the current version of the standard which is widely used accross the word as the norm for Quality Management Systems (QMS).
ISO and the IAF (Internaltional Accreditation Forum) have recognized that ISO 9001:2008 does not introduce any new requirements, only clarifications to the existing requirements bsed on the feedback and experience received after using the 2000 version of the standard for 8 years.
A summary of their agreed implementation plan is as follows:
For the article released by ISO and IAF please click below.
After months of successfully launching the Web-Based BMS on its new platform, Miriam Boudreaux, president of Mireaux Management Solutions, announced that the Web-Based BMS will be offered through a remote hosting solution.
Miriam added "The installation time of a new Quality or Information Management System will be reduced tremendously by offering the QMS through our hosting services. Time to software deployment will be immediate, allowing us to concentrate our efforts in assisting our customers to comply with the requirements of the ISO standards and the amount of work associated with developing processes and procedures. On the customer end, they will not see a tax on their current server capacity as well as the need for additional software. In our end, we will not have to deal with the variations of IT infrastructure we typically dealt with from company to company and within a single company in our previous installation model. We are completely satisifed that this is the way to go in the future."
Mireaux has announced that some customers have already signed up for the new hosting service and that are already experiencing the Web-Based BMS on their dedicated site. Secure 24-7 global access to the QMS or ISMS by all employees and timed access by External Auditors is already proving the new system to be an effective solution.
The much anticipated revision to the ISO 9001 standard is now expected to occur in late October 2008. While the changes to the 2000 revision are very minimal, the new revision will serve mostly as clarification and increased alignment to the ISO 14001:2004 standard.
Mireaux has updated its ISO 9001 FAQs page with a special section dedicated to answer major questions regarding the 2008 proposed changes, currently described in the Draft International Standard or DIS. A complete list of item-by-item changes and additions has also been made avaialble in the ISO 9001 FAQs page. More information will be posted as the ISO organization and the Technical Committe 176 make news available regarding the ISO 9001 standard.
Mireaux's ISO software, web-based "Business Management System" or web-based BMS, has been deployed online with free access to all its modules and applications.
The web-based BMS version 1. 1, built on a DNN platform can be viewed with a login and password supplied after a valid registration. Modules included are ISMS, QMS, Document control and Human Resources. The Continual Improvement Program (CIP) used for tracking of corrective and preventive action is also available for viewing. Registered users can actually generate CARs and move them through the process of investigation, verification, etc. to succesful closure.
Mireaux Management Solutions announced that it has made the decision to bring a sample of its Web-Based BMS to the internet, allowing prospective clients to tour the product and view all of its benefits for themselves.
After years of conducting demos strictly on a case by case basis, utilizing third-party tools such as Webex, Mireaux decided to publish the site utilizing the DNN platform along with its robust user login and security functions. Miriam Boudreaux, President of Mireaux added "Bringing the Web-Based BMS live on the internet, will allow potential clients seeking ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, to quickly see the value we can add to their business and to have a very good idea of how their quality management system or information security management system will look in the end". A release date has not yet been established.
Miriam Boudreaux announced today that the web-based QMS has been renamed Web-Based BMS to accomodate new modules necessary to satisfy ISO 27001:2005 requirements . Modules included are ISMS Policy, SOA, Risk Assessment, etc.
Miriam Boudreaux attended the 5-day Information Security Lead Auditor IRCA-certified course, taught by BSI and passed the required auditor exam She has obtained RABQSA certification as a provisional Information Security Management System Auditor. With those credentials, Mireaux is now positioned to help companies implement QMS, ISMS or a complete BMS system.
Mireaux launched a new website that promises to provide extensive information about Mireaux's quality and information security consulting services.
The website was built using Dot Net Nuke (DNN), an open source web application framework ideal for creating, deploying and managing interactive web sites. Miriam Boudreaux, Mireaux's President, stated that there are plans to make all of the Web-Based BMS modules available on their portal so they can be easily tested by potential users.
Miriam Boudreaux presented the 4-hr workshop at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Orlando. She gave the audience feedback on her real life experience and lessons learned in integrating a Quality Management System and crossed-referenced that with the theory she presented. She gave the attendees all the necessary tools to complete this project from start to finish, that is, from forming the team to integrate the system, to actually having the QMS running on the intranet.
The workshop covered in detail the steps to integrate 4 standards: ISO9001:2000, ISO/TS 16949, ISO14001 and TL9000 into a single set of requirements within a Quality Management System. It also covered the steps to integrate a company's various facilities into the same QMS, so that everyone will be able to share the Quality Manual, Procedures, Corrective and Preventive Action System, etc. seamlessly from any company location and at anytime. The workshop also explained in detail the required flowcharts and decision trees to ensure that the Online Preventive and Corrective Action System work well for everybody and for everything including recording daily nonconformances, internal and external audit nonconformances, management review improvement actions, customer complaints, etc.
The Texas Quality Award for Performance Excellence was presented during the Texas Award Banquet. Examiners that contributed to the 2003 process were recognized for their participation.
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