This month Crimsonwing has achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification. After just over a year of preparations, Crimsonwing was on the fast track to achieve certification as a provider of software solutions and software development services.

Crimsonwing has been operational in Malta for the past six years. With a staff of nearly 90, it is the largest privately owned software development company in Malta.

ISO, an international Quality Management System (QMS) standard, outlines some basic good business practices that top companies should have in place.

Implementing a QMS compliant with ISO 9001:2000 enables a company to run more efficiently and communicates to potential customers that good quality processes are in place, giving the company that competitive edge.

Crimsonwing's ISO certification audit was carried out last November by a team from Moody International Certification Ltd. The auditors, who spent a busy week with all Crimsonwing staff, demonstrated the robustness, efficiency and effectiveness of the company's quality management system, the company said in a statement last week.

In the audit's closing session the auditors commented: "Wow! We are really impressed, not only with ISO:9001, but with what you really are. Well done!"

A number of critical success factors were instrumental in enabling Crimsonwing to implement a QMS. Crimsonwing made use of specifically trained internal resources to design and develop the QMS. This involved seven people representative of all areas of the company. The team reviewed and documented all software development processes, ensuring that best practices were identified and communicated company-wide.

Other aspects of collaborative work focused on the auditing team, who assumed responsibility for checking the efficiency and effectiveness of the QMS and a continual improvement team, who analysed nonconformities and customer feedback on an ongoing basis.

Collaborative work, such as the involvement of staff at all levels throughout the company, enabled Crimsonwing to draw on the company's collective expertise, ensuring that all staff formed part of the ISO process. Another valuable link in the chain was management commitment in the provision of optimum resources.

One of the major achievements in Crimsonwing's ISO certification process was the development of the MAIS system. Developed internally over a five-month period, the system allows for the measurement, analysis and improvement of quality data related to Crimsonwing's core business of software development.

Lead auditor Ing. Paul Cardona remarked: "Impressive! Your internal systems are not only fit for purpose but also naturally integrated into your QMS."

ISO certification is a major achievement. "It makes Crimsonwing more attractive and therefore more marketable in an increasingly cutthroat environment, but Crimsonwing realises that continuous improvement is necessary for ISO to be meaningful in the ever-changing world of IT," the company said in its statement.