Have you ever wondered what ISO 9001 really is and why it matters in the products you purchase for your systems? If so, you’re not alone. This month we’ll give you a bit of background about ISO 9001 and why it matters in manufactured products and what it ultimately means to you and your assets.
This ISO Certification is especially important to international customers considering us to be an approved supplier.

Who is ISO Anyway?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world's largest developer of International Standards. Their voluntary standards offer best practices for most types of technologies and processes. Implementation of these standardized best practices allow consumers and asset owners to be more confident in the way a product is manufactured, knowing that they meet certain standards for quality, in the case of ISO 9001.

These standards for best practices are developed through a worldwide consensus process with subject matter experts.

What is ISO 9001:2015?

ISO 9001 is a standard that sets out the guidelines for best practices for a quality management system (QMS). The goal is to minimize mistakes in the manufacturing processes to benefit customers, consumers, and asset owners while also creating efficiencies in the manufacturing process, benefitting the manufacturer as well. ISO 9001 is generally based upon the Seven Quality Management Principles:

1. Customer focus – Staying focused on your customer, their needs and the value and quality they want leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Leadership – Great leaders help the entire team collaborate and work towards the same quality goals, elevating your organization and the quality of your products and processes.

3. Engagement of people – Continual engagement with everyone from your supply chain partners, through to your employees, and then again with your customers and distributors is an integral part of helping to ensure that your product maintains the highest level of quality and value for the end user.

4. Process approach – Analyzing and optimizing your processes leads to more consistency in your product manufacturing as well as more consistency in delivery times.

5. Continuous Improvement – Soliciting feedback and listening to all stakeholders in your process allow for innovations and continuous improvements of features and functions on your product.

6. Evidence-based decision making – In today’s business world, objective metrics for every part of your business are a must. There are so many ways to collect data now that analyzing and incorporating it into your process improvements is easier than ever.

7. Relationship management - Maintaining a strong supply chain requires nurturing your relationships with your suppliers. Over time, this will generate a strong spirit of collaboration from one end of your supply chain to the other, resulting in the best quality product for your customers.

So why should ISO 9001 matter to you in your inspection plugs and location labels?

To become ISO 9001 certificated requires planning, commitment and resources. It shows a REAL commitment to manufacturing with quality always at the forefront.

At NDT Seals, we have 100% human inspection of every product that leaves the warehouse. We are extremely dedicated to making sure that our products help ensure the integrity of your assets. Our Quality Management System is audited by a third-party examiner each year since 2000. 

This means a better seal in your inspection plug, reducing Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI). This means better quality adhesives, developed with 3M, to make sure we have the lowest leachability possible and the highest adhesion possible for a wide temperature range.

The biggest impact to our business has been continued emphasis and priority on face-to-face customer visits. Our dedication to the ISO 9001 Quality Principles is what has led to innovations such as our plug lanyard which eliminates plug drops during UT inspections. This innovation came directly from our commitment to customer service and getting feedback and continuously improving our product.

To our knowledge, we are the only ISO Certified inspection plug and label manufacturer.

We Put Our Customers’ Needs First, Always Striving To Enhance Customer Satisfaction