Various industry standards help maintain a safe and level playing field, and one of the most popular organizations is in this space is ISO.
ISO certifications allow companies to show proof of their ability to adhere to the standards, procedures, and processes they hold themselves to. Let’s look at what this certification entails, why it’s important, and what it means for buyers.
WHAT IS ISO CERTIFICATION?
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental, international organization that develops and oversees standards to guarantee the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems. ISO certification certifies that a manufacturing process, management system, service, or documented procedure has the requirements for standardization and quality assurance.
While there are several different types of ISO certifications applied across various industries, ranging from medical equipment to energy, each is designed to ensure that processes and procedures are in place and a business exceeds all requirements for standardization and quality assurance. Basically, ISO standards are put in place to ensure that consistency and quality are met. Each certification has its own standards and criteria, all of which are classified numerically. For instance, the ISO certification we currently hold at Walkup Company is ISO 9001:2015.
ISO CERTIFICATION AND METAL FABRICATION
As a company that provides custom metal fabrication solutions, the relevant ISO certification for our line of work is within the ISO 9001 family. This certification addresses various aspects of quality management. Specifically, ISO 9001:2015 which is the most current certification for establishing the criteria of a quality management system.
As the ISO website states, “This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement.”
Companies with ISO 9001:2015 certification must invite independent certification bodies to audit their quality systems annually and verify that they adhere to ISO standards set forth.
WHAT DOES ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION MEAN?
If an organization claims to be “ISO 9001 Certified,” this means the organization has met the requirements designated under ISO 9001. ISO 9001 requires organizations to define and follow a quality management system that is both appropriate and effective while also requiring them to identify areas for improvement and take action to meet those improvements.
WHAT DOES THE FULL ISO 9001 :2015 CERTIFICATION MEAN?
The ISO 9001:2015 certification includes three components: ISO, 9001, and 2015. Here’s what each component represents:
ISO: As mentioned above, ISO refers to the International Organization for Standardization. This organization develops the standards to properly certify businesses and organizations. Certification is handled through a third-party and tested on an annual basis.
9001: The number appearing after ISO classifies the standard. All standards within the ISO 9000 family refer to quality management. ISO 9001 is among ISO’s best-known standards, and it defines the criteria for meeting several quality management principles. It helps businesses and organizations be more efficient and improve customer satisfaction.
2015: The final number in an ISO certification refers to the version of the standard that’s being met and is represented by the year in which those standards were released. 2015 is the fifth edition of ISO 9001. It was launched in September of 2015, and Walkup Company has updated its processes to meet the most up to date specifications.
WHAT DO ISO CERTIFICATIONS MEAN FOR BUYERS?
ISO certifications make the vendor selection process a little less stressful by offering assurances. If the company you’re doing business is certified that means someone has verified that they’re truly positioned to deliver consistent quality. ISO certifications provide buyers with piece of mine.
Certifications also show a level of professionalism, expertise, and initiative on the part of the certified business. There are no legal requirements for being certified; companies that do so prove a willingness to go above and beyond to validate their products and services and show that they are constantly improving their procedures.
Think of it this way: if you’re considering two vendors who appear similar on paper but only one is ISO certified, which would you choose?
COMMITTED TO QUALITY PROVIDING ISO CERTIFIED FABRICATION TO HOUSTON, TX
Since 1944, Walkup Company has been committed to maintaining high-quality processes, procedures, and customer service. Now, with our ISO certification, we have successfully completed an efficient and rigorous quality program to ensure we have the systems and procedures in place to back our quality guarantee.