Exceeding Standards

Across the state, manufacturers are getting fired up about ISO certification, a stamp of approval showing a company meets internationally recognized standards. Though it started as a product-focused quality control system, ISO has evolved into an outstanding management tool that enables every type of company to improve its processes.

The manufacturers we work with pursue ISO certification for a variety of reasons, including customer requests and the opportunity to enter new markets. We’ve seen more OEMs requiring their suppliers to earn the certification because it shows they follow processes that lead to predictable outcomes and quality products.

But the benefits of ISO typically go far beyond appealing to customers. Amy Thimmesh, one of our ISO consultants, says updated ISO processes have three features that make it especially appealing to companies going through it the first time.

First, ISO is not nearly as prescriptive as it once was. The documentation requirements under the new system are designed to capture useful data that can help companies improve their decision making and quickly identify and correct errors.

The updated process also now allows companies to customize to fit their own situations, employees, and customers. “Setting up this system is about understanding what your customer wants and where you want to go as an organization,” Thimmesh says.

Finally, most manufacturers discover that ISO helps improve their operations in a way that customers will notice. “If we have standardized processes, everyone does everything the same way. That ensures that the customer knows what to expect from your organization,” Thimmesh says.

The process also boosts employee satisfaction by involving and engaging employees at each step. “We work together to find best practices, and implement and improve on them,” she says.

Enterprise Minnesota is so convinced of the value of ISO that ten years ago we started the process of getting certified ourselves, a relative rarity for a service organization. We just completed our 10th annual audit for ISO 9001 certification.

Our motivation was to better understand the certification process we urge clients to embrace, and to improve our own operations. ISO has become our management system; we maximize its effectiveness through a continual process of internal auditing. We’re continually impressed with how it has improved our operation. For more about Enterprise Minnesota’s ISO journey, check out the Q&A with our ISO auditor in the next issue of Enterprise Minnesota magazine, scheduled to be published in late August.

If your company is interested in exploring the process of ISO certification, contact Amy Thimmesh at 612-999-6237 or [email protected].

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