Document Center Inc. UPDATE Vol. 2 No. 1, November 1996
UPDATE: President's Message
Change, change, change! In the last year Document Center has been undergoing an internal transformation to serve you better using network technologies.
This issue, we're covering changes at the DOD, copyright standards, our internal upgrade and the newly released ISO 14000 series documents.
And meet our new General Manager, Ms. Anne Everett. Anne's strong background in operations management in manufacturing and in the information business has been a tremendous addition to our organization.
We're announcing four important new agreements this issue. The addition of IEEE, NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) and DIN (Deutsches Institut fur Normung [German]) standards to our collection is very exciting for us and for our customers. We can also now distribute obsolete ASME's.
All in all, standards are keeping us all busy! Because you need reliable information management for this specialized collection, we're really committed to using technology wisely. And because you need better procurement processes, we are pioneering new channels of communication. That's the challenge of Information Age service!
Claudia Bach, President
Four Important New Distribution: DIN, IEEE, ASME and NEMA signed.
We are very pleased to announce that we have reached agreement for standards distribution with four outstanding Standards Developing Organizations.
Each agreement is unique, but will allow for significantly improved services to our customers.
The IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) agreement has resulted in all IEEE documents being in stock for immediate delivery. This includes all IEEE draft documents, which are available for fax delivery as well as our usual overnight, second day, third day or ground services.
DIN, the Deutsches Institut fur Normung, has provided us with a master for all English editions of the German standards. This includes the DIN ISO and the DIN EN (European Norm) adoptions. This collection is being reproduced for our customer orders. Prior to this agreement, turnarounds on the DIN document have been as slow as three months. So we are exceptionally pleased to have this collection in place.
The NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) agreement will also provide us with markedly improved services to our customers. All the NEMA standards are now in-house and available for reproduction for our customers. There has been a reduction in the price as well.
Finally, we have arranged with ASME, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, to be able to reproduce obsolete ASME documents for our customers. If you have an out-of-date ASME document you need, please call us for price and availability.
Each of these new agreements helps us to serve you better. With the IEEE, DIN, and NEMA agreements, new standards will immediately be forwarded to Document Center directly upon adoption. Updating services for these documents will be more timely. And because our costs are reduced, the savings will be passed on to you in lower prices.
Document Center Inc. believes in broad dissemination of standards and standard information. With each contract that we sign, these organizations help the standards-using community by allowing us to make their standards readily available to our customers and the public at large.
ISO 14000 Series Here: EMS Standards Approved
For Those of you who are interested in the ISO 14000 Series of international environmental management systems (EMS) standards, they have arrived!
All five standards are currently available from Document Center Inc. in the ISO editions. We are also carrying the ANSI/ISO editions which are less expensive. These ANSI adoptions are coversheets with the ISO original attached. The titles of the standards are listed below.
It is anticipated that there will be four more standards in this series, to be published in 1997.
The primary standard is ISO 14001, titled "Environmental Management Systems - Specification with Guidance for Use." It will be used for certification.
Representatives of 47 international delegations participated in the ISO TC 207 plenary for these EMS standards. In the United States, three bodies are jointly sponsoring the documents: ASTM (the American Society for Testing and Materials), ASQC (the American Society for Quality Control), and NSF International (the National Sanitation Foundation International).
The ISO 14000 series has evolved from the BS-7750 standard. The two documents, BS-7750 and ISO-14001, are technically equivalent, but many of the British requirements were incorporated into an appendix of the ISO document, which means they are guidelines and not requirements.
These documents cover seven areas: audits, labeling, environmental performance evaluation, life-cycle assessment, terms and definitions, and environmental aspects in product standards.
Certainly the ISO standards are more flexible than the European Union standards, while covering the same material as the BS-7750 and Eco Management and Audit Regulation (EMAR). The hope is that the ISO's will be adopted as European standards, replacing some, if not all, national EMS standards.
The creation of a single set of EMS standards is intended to help companies manage their environmental affairs, especially with regards to international registrations, permits, inspections, and certification of products. However, a concern is that it is expected to require evidence of compliance, similar to that of ISO 9000.
Registration costs in terms of both time and money should be similar to those incurred in the ISO 9000 certification process. ANSI has established a national program to accredit ISO 14000 EMS registrars, similar to the ISO 9000 program. In a recent Intech article, John Donaldson, V.P. of conformity assessment at ANSI, states "the 14001 registrars are likely to come from the 67 registrars currently performing certifications to ISO 9000."
On the whole, however, it is to the United States' benefit to have one harmonized set of requirements for such an important issue as the environmental impact of businesses worldwide.
ISO 14000 Standards available from Document Center Inc.
ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems - Specification with Guidance for Use
ISO 14004: Environmental Management Systems - General Guidelines on Principles, Systems and Supporting Techniques
ISO 14010: Guidelines for Environmental Auditing - General Principles
ISO 14011: Guidelines for Environmental Auditing - Auditing Procedures - Auditing of Environmental Management Systems
ISO 14012: Guidelines for Environmental Auditing - Qualification Criteria for Environmental Auditors
More Department of Defense Changes: Extraordinary Developments
After Years of discussion and planning, the Defense Printing Office has been given a change of management, a new name and new policies for distribution of the military specifications and standards.
This means that documents from what has been traditionally known as "Navy Pubs" will no longer be free to the public but will have a nine cents a page charge.
The organization's new name is the Defense Document Automated Printing Service (DDAPS). This change follows in the wake of the organizational restructuring that puts the Defense Logistics Agency in command of this activity.
Performance specifications will state requirements for a product in terms of form, fit, function and interface. The detail specification on the other hand will give specific design details, which will be appropriate for badges, uniforms, and other items that need to be specifically delineated. Both these new document types will be exempt from the waiver requirement for military contracts.
The decision to charge the public for the services of DDAPS has been made for some time, but is only being implemented as of October 1, 1996. All orders must be prepaid, whether by check or by credit card. The service is set up to provide customers with prices prior to accepting orders.
There are great pressures on the DOD to reduce procurement costs. This development at the Printing Service is in line with the order changes in the specification process. All are geared to reduce the Department's reliance on internally generated standards and the expenses associated with them.
Our Staff is ready to help you! Phone: +650-591-7600 Fax: +650-591-7600 Email: info@document-center.com. Check us out at www.document-center.com (Note: there is no charge to access the Document Center Server, available 24 hours a day worldwide)
Information Technology Upgrade: Internal transformation to provide new products and services to you
Document Center , in response to lessons learned from our web page and our involvement in the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standards and Data Services Committee, is going through a complete internal restructuring of our business processes.
The transformation has started with the migration from our mini-computer onto a network of PC's. And although there have been moments when we have been as frustrated as anyone undergoing such a migration, we have already discovered the benefits of the power of modern computing!
Has it been difficult for us? Yes, of course. Our business is completely based on our computer system, so that moving from a DOS-based environment into Windows has been challenging for the staff. Also, some of our processes were temporarily interrupted, like the regular migration of our database onto our web server.
However, we are excited at the prospect of being able to create and maintain a more robust and complete database, better customer information, and more communication channels.
Further the new computer system is designed to assist us in supporting the rapid growth we have experienced for the last several years. The Internet site (www.doccenter.com) is providing standards users worldwide with a no charge tool for identifying documents, prices, and availability. We are working with many new customers as a result.
We are also excited to be near completion of the first phase in our plan to provide you with standards in electronic format. This plan calls for new products and services to offer you as networking technologies are adopted by business.
Information technology new gives us new ways to meet our mission to offer you the best standards delivery at reasonable costs. We are in the design phase for CD-ROM and on-line products.
We see our customers needing more timely and more detailed information about standards. We already have much of this information -- technology will provide a way to communicate it to you.
We welcome any input you have for us at this time. Issues include the level of technology you can use in both the short term and long term, and the level of integration needed into your daily routine. You can email your comments to me directly at info@doccenter.com by putting Claudia in the attention line.
The Cost of Copyright: Why standards are expensive
We are often asked why certain standards are so expensive. Indeed, this is a question we sometimes ask ourselves, since the public domain documents we sell are so reasonably priced.
Standards Developing Organizations (SDO's) rely on revenues of the sale of standards to fund the standards writing process. This process can be lengthy and expensive, due to the rigorous demands of the open system as defined by ANSI and the various SDO's.
However, the result of this process is a set of standards in use that is intended to be in the public interest. That is, the standards process has been designed to prevent monopolistic manipulations of the business environment.
Organizations put a value on standards by setting prices both for original copies and for reproduction rights. When you pay for a standard, you not only pay for the paper it is printed on, but for the cost of creating the information on the paper. In the case of public domain information, this cost if paid by the taxpayer.
All copyright fees for standards you purchase from Document Center Inc. have been paid by us. However, further duplication is prohibited unless you make special arrangements with the content owner. For the most part this is not realistic unless a significant number of copies of one document are required. In this case, please contact us.
Document Center Inc.: Providing Standards Since 1982
Based in Silicon Valley, Document Center Inc. provides standards to customers worldwide. The over 500,000 standards warehoused at our headquarters are available for same day shipment, including fax, overnight and regular delivery. Orders can be placed using the phone, fax, email, or our web site.
Standards in the collection include all of the U.S. military and federal level specifications and standards, all ASTM, SAE, IEEE, EIA, AIIM, API, ISO, IEC, ANSI copyright, AIA, DIN English editions, ASHRAE and NEMA standards. We have further distribution agreements with IPC, the European Union, and ATA.
There are also additional extensive collections of the DESC drawings and standards from other organizations like NASA and the FDA.
Document Center has gained its top-notch reputation by providing personal service, fast delivery (including fax), low prices, and an extensive inventory. We have thorough procedures for quality, accuracy, and completeness.
Automatic updating service provides the support needed for ISO 9000 documentation. This no charge service accompanies every sale. It can be purchased separately for items acquired elsewhere.
Our Information Specialists are here to help you. We are glad to assist with any standards question you nay have. Quotes for price and availability are done promptly.
To reach Document Center's staff, phone +650-591-7600, fax +650-591-7617, email us at info@document-center.com or reach us on the web: www.document-center.com