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 grow 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:

• ISO Audit Results and Nonconformities
• Understanding the background and new approaches of ISO 9001
• Effective Evaluation & Reevaluation of Suppliers - Part 2
• Effective Evaluation & Reevaluation of Suppliers - Part 1
• The right time to implement ISO 9001?
• The ISO 9001 journey: More on the Quality Policy
• Beginning the ISO 9001 journey: The Quality Policy

 

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.

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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.

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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:

1. No company will be certified to ISO 9001:2008 until the standard ISO 9001:2008 is published officially.  Certification won't be automatic but through a normal surveillance audit, recertification audit or initial audit.
2. After 12 months of the ISO 9001:2008 publication, all certificates will be to ISO 9001:2008.
3. After 24 months of the ISO 9001:2008 publication, all certificates issued to ISO 9001:2000 will not be valid.

For the article released by ISO and IAF please click below.

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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.