Following the relocation of its manufacturing facility to Sweden earlier this year, Xaar plc has consolidated this move by reporting record production figures for its printhead range, including a 700% increase in monthly production rates of the XJ500 compared to 12 months ago. "These latest production figures, together with our success in gaining ISO 9001:2000 accreditation at the turn of the year, demonstrate that our new quality procedures, along with the recruitment of Greg Lockett, our Operations and Quality Manager, are clearly paying dividends," comments Jan Fineman, Chief Executive at Xaar. "Evaluating the quality procedures and systems we have in place in Järfälla and addressing our business model to ensure supply meets demand, was crucial for achieving the ISO standard. That said, there is still much we can do and as demand increases, pressures on production continue. We are therefore concentrating more effort than ever on further improvements in production and quality." Implementing a quality management system is a strategic decision, made by organisations aiming at enhancing customer satisfaction by proactively meeting customer requirements. ISO 9001:2000 is a global standard and a tool for organisations looking to implement a recognised quality management system. The standard demonstrates a company’s ability to consistently provide products that meet customer requirements as well as its ability to continuously improve the effectiveness of the management system. The standard also promotes the adoption of a process approach, where objective measurements are the basis for process improvements. ISO 9001:2000 is employed by organisations seeking international recognition of the quality management system they have in place. Ian Dinwoodie, Operations Director, points out that, "Working at developing an efficient management system that supports the company’s strategic objectives and fulfils the requirements in ISO 9001:2000 demands continuous procedure monitoring and measurable quality targets, as well as both internal and external business audits and reviews. The competence and commitment of our employees is a key factor in this work. We are delighted to have achieved ISO 9001:2000, which highlights the continued success of the Swedish facility."