Klein Products Achieves ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management
On May 25, 2017, Klein Products’ Texas-based factory became the first in its industry to achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification. This accomplishment signifies that the factory consistently provides products that meet customer and regulatory requirements and enhances customer satisfaction through an effective quality management system.
ISO is an independent international organization that brings together experts to develop standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. Its standards are implemented by more than a million organizations in over 175 countries. The ISO 9001:2015 standard focuses on requirements for establishing and maintaining optimal quality management systems.
To achieve certification, Klein Products had to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for quality and document standard operating procedures — such as monitoring quality through regular inspections, evaluating products to make ongoing improvements and taking preventive action to avoid future problems — to proactively address any nonconforming or substandard products.
“We want our customers to feel confident that everything they purchase from us will consistently deliver the quality they expect,” said Michael Shepperd, plant manager at Klein Products of Texas. “Our ISO 9001:2015 certification allows us to support our promise of quality with procedures that meet internationally recognized standards.”
The process of becoming ISO 9001:2015 certified can take two years or longer, but Klein Products was able to achieve certification within nine months because the factory already had many of the necessary quality-control procedures in place.
To maintain its certification, Klein Products must continue to track its established KPIs and follow effective quality management procedures. On an ongoing basis, the company will perform quality assessments, produce and evaluate repair records, and make operational adjustments as necessary to ensure all products continually deliver the same high quality. Each year, the factory will be audited to make sure it still meets all the ISO 9001:2015 requirements.
“The certification process enabled us to take our quality management system to the next level and provide even greater value to the many individuals and companies that rely on our products every day,” Shepperd said. “We look forward to many more years of pushing ourselves to achieve the highest levels of quality as we continue to develop new innovations.”