ISO 9001 – What Does it Mean to be Certified?

At Birmingham Fastener, we pride ourselves in being ISO 9001:2015 certified at our headquarters, our distribution center in Hanceville, and our aerospace division in Huntsville. The ISO 9001:2015 standard lays out the criteria for a company to establish a quality management system. It is used by over one million companies across the globe. There are several different types of documents in the ISO 9000 family outlining standards, but ISO 9001 is the only one in the series requiring certification.

ISO 9001: A Background

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental organization. It has published over 20,000 standards and documents covering an array of industries. The ISO began in 1946 as a way to “facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards.” ISO standards ensure that products and services are both safe and of consistently good quality. The ISO works with industry experts to develop and maintain standards in their respective sectors.

ISO 9001 is a company or organization-wide standard that ensures companies are meeting their customers’ requirements for quality of products or services. ISO 9001 can improve a facility’s standards, performance, and overall quality of products. A properly functioning quality management system utilizes policies, procedures, work instructions, and forms to properly document and define the processes involved in product realization. Organizations use this standard to demonstrate their consistency in manufacturing, building, or developing their products.

Benefits of ISO 9001

ISO 9001 benefits both our company and our customers. This certification tells our customers that our quality management system has been approved by an ISO registrar and continually evolves to maintain a high standard. Our employees follow proper procedure at each of our locations to ensure our products are safe and of high quality. Following the principles of ISO 9001, our facilities are organized for optimal productivity. Having such a quality management system in place keeps us organized, which in turn provides an excellent product. Customer satisfaction is the main objective of ISO 9001. When a quality management system is exceptional, customers receive the best products and services.