ISO and the CIB

The Coffee Industry Board (CIB) has been charged with the responsibility of protecting the brand name of Jamaican coffee and guaranteeing that quality is maintained at the highest level. It is therefore an imperative that the systems and procedures of the CIB should be able to stand up to scrutiny both internally and externally.

The Board in 2004 launched a programme of upgrading and revitalization of skills, systems and resources within the organization with a view of realizing superior levels of accountability, transparency and efficiency amongst management and staff, and guaranteeing customer satisfaction.

Through the medium of the Coffee Industry Board ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System (QMS) these objectives have been achieved. ISO 9001:2000 standard emphasizes customer focus, people involvement, leadership, a systems approach to management, continual improvement and mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

Conformance to our QMS norms has created a more transparent and efficient working environment, with the promulgation of quality policies, procedures and industry standards as well as stated performance objectives. These are continuously updated based on periodic evaluation and of course feedback from our external and internal customers.   This has set the organization on a path of continual improvement which is in line with our:

Mission Vision & Values
Quality Policy Statement
Quality Objectives

The CIB achieved certification in a record time of seven months! This is a testament to our commitment to providing quality service and to be recognized as a top performing, impartial and professional organization.

The reason why ISO Certification is important to an organization
The ISO 9000 – 2000 standard is process and outcome driven. It emphasizes customer focus, people involvement, leadership, a systems approach to management, continual improvement and mutually beneficial supplier relationships. Certification under this standard is fast becoming an imperative, especially for companies and organizations that do business in the global market place. The following benefits can been derived from implementing the ISO 9000-2000 standard:

• A competitive advantage in the market place
• Increased customer confidence and customer satisfaction
• Improved operational efficiency
• Reduction in waste and hence the cost of doing business
• Able to stand up to scrutiny
• Improved staff morale
• Proper documentation of processes and procedure thereby ensuring consistency and continuity.
• Adequately trained and flexible staff.

Generally, the application of best practice and clearly documented procedures and expectation, will ensure job satisfaction, continuous improvement and the long-term sustainability of the Jamaican coffee industry.

ISO 9000 is the international language of quality with more than 80 countries having adopted the standard. Over 400.000 companies around the world are now registered to the ISO 9000 series standard. We are convinced that implementation of and registration to ISO 9000 standard by the CIB has brought tremendous benefits to all stakeholders in the industry, and has provided a solid foundation for continual improvement.