New Book Questions: With Outsourcing to India and China, Why is the Supply Chain Abandoning ISO/TS 16949 as the Supply Chain Standard?

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 1 -- A newly available book issues a wake-up call to domestic automakers and suppliers saying they will face continued market share loss and hard times ahead unless top management realizes the importance of implementing ISO/TS 16949:2002 to affect change in the bottom line and the fundamental processes of their organization.

The "ISO/TS 16949 Implementation Guide: Gaining Value from Your ISO/TS 16949 Implementation" addresses issues critical to deriving monetary, long- term benefit from moving beyond a "compliance-driven" business management system to a true "improvement-based" system. The author, Chad Kymal -- a noted and respected author of quality and process improvement books -- dives deep into understanding just how far a compliance-driven manufacturing model can take companies and why it does not deliver on any tangible long-term benefits, or stop the continuing market share loss by domestic automakers and their suppliers.

Published by Paton Press, the book covers a broad range of topics all tied to a common theme of the need for management -- not just quality professionals -- to embrace ISO/TS 16949:

* Outsourcing of manufacturing and services to China and India and the need for strong systems for supplier development and monitoring

* The need for relevancy of standards and management systems at the highest organizational levels for true cost reduction, lead time reduction, time-to-market improvements while delivering healthy financial performance

* Managing the global supply chain and meeting customer expectations and the requirements driving strategy, processes, measurement

The next 20 years will be the most challenging ever for the domestic automakers and their suppliers. "ISO/TS 16949 Implementation Guide: Gaining Value from Your ISO/TS 16949 Implementation" provides excellent insight and examples to energize industry decision makers and encourage their embrace of a true improvement-based process and quality system.

Book Availability and Pricing

"ISO/TS 16949 Implementation Guide: Gaining Value from Your ISO/TS 16949 Implementation" retails $39.95 from Paton Press (http://www.patonpress.com/ ) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/ ).

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Chad Kymal

http://www.profnet.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=484252

NOTE TO EDITORS: Upon request and availability, Chad Kymal can be reached for interview. Kymal has also authored "How to Audit ISO 9001:2000-A Handbook for Auditors," released in 2002. Please contact Glenn Bugala at Omnex to arrange for an interview or speaking engagement: +1-734-761-4940.