As far as he was aware the customer was more than happy with the quality of his products and services and, besides, surely the systems he used in his company were his business and nobody else's. This meant hiring consultants to help interpret the ten or so documents making up the series, tying up valuable employee time to write down all the company's procedures, and paying external auditors to inspect the procedures before issuing a certificate. He had no room to accommodate these demands in his tight operating budgets. Alf's predicament is shared by thousands of Australian company managers. Alf's reaction, also shared by many others, is that these requirements simply add a thick layer of red tape to his already difficult job with no readily identifiable benefits.
Reliability is the assurance that the quality achieved today can be supplied well into the future.
Reliability cannot be demonstrated by providing a sample of current products or even by pointing to a history of satisfactory supply. This is what QA Certification is really about. They cannot simply rely on your word. This is what makes external audits audits by an independent body necessary. The issue of a certificate provides proof to all your customers, current and potential, and means that you need have only one audit program to satisfy them all.