ISO Certification
Question:
I specify and purchase resins for my company, a mid-size custom molder. I notice that more and more companies are obtaining ISO certification. While I understand that this is a quality standard, how does it affect me and my buying decisions?
- Price & Quality Conscious
Answer:
Dear Price & Quality Conscious, This is a good question. Many suppliers are wondering if they need to go through the time and expense necessary to obtain ISO certification. At the same time, buyers are wondering if they need to change their purchasing habits to only specify resin from ISO certified companies.
Without getting into too much detail, let me say that ISO represents an attempt to create a worldwide quality standard. This is not an easy task, to say the least, but it is working; it's not a stretch to say that by the year 2000, companies that do not have ISO certification will be at a significant disadvantage to their competition that is ISO certified. Already, many major purchasers of resin won't do business with suppliers that don't have ISO certification.
I asked David Peterson, Quality Assurance/ISO Systems Manager at The Plastics Group, to provide a couple of specifics about how ISO helps their customers. He said, "With ISO, every effort is taken to ensure customer satisfaction and product quality; in fact it is required to retain ISO certification. The entire ISO certification program is geared to meeting customer requirements and needs. As an example, Polifil® product quality is directly based on customer requirements and specifications. This information is utilized to develop a specific customer profile for each Polifil® product ordered."
He continued, "The Polifil® customer profile is cross-referenced each time a customer places an order to ensure product integrity and continuity. This enables us to consistently supply the customer with product that meets all of their requirements and specifications."
So, back to your question - ISO may not affect you and your buying decisions today, but it will before long. When one of your customers makes ISO certification a prerequisite for resin, you'll need to find a certified supplier, if you haven't already.
My advice? Start thinking quality, and go with a supplier that's ISO certified - show your customers that quality is a prerequisite for you, too!
Questions about ISO certification?
Feel free to call David Peterson, The Plastics Group's Quality Assurance/ISO Systems Manager, at (800) 984-4TPG (4874), ext. 122
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