HVTDC Helps Methods Tooling Achieve ISO Certification
“Bob Winrow got us started on the road.
He stayed with us and oversaw the entire process.”
Wally Michaels,
President of
Methods Tooling
Methods Tooling of Mt. Marion, N.Y., is a 35-year old manufacturer of machine parts, weldments, and precision sheet metal products. The company has about 60 customers and employs 26 people.
Wally Michaels, President of the company and one of its founders, knew that ISO 9001:2000 certification would set the company apart as a leader, but he wasn’t certain how to proceed. About a year ago, he received a mailing from the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center (HVTDC), a NIST MEP network affiliate, information him about various services the Center offers to small manufacturers. Michaels picked up the phone, called HVTDC and was put in touch with Bob Winrow, HVTDC’s Field Services Director.
Winrow and HVTDC immediately went to work to help Methods Tooling. Says Winrow, “I went up to the company and talked to Mr. Michaels and his staff. I then set up a meeting with HVTDC’s quality service provider, Prism e-Solutions, a worldwide consulting and training firm. We discussed ISO, its impact, the commitment required to get certification, and the benefits to business. Methods Tooling signed a contract, and work was begun.”
Just what is ISO 9001:2000? Winrow explains, “The ISO 9001:2000 standard creates a basis for direct and shared direction by the management and staff of a business. It aligns an entire organization around its business objectives, linking them into the Quality Management System (QMS). The QMS contains the quality policy, quality objectives and the supporting procedural and process documentation that supports the overall business needs.”
“For example, if a company uses calipers to measure compliance to a print, ISO 9001:2000 requires a procedure to calibrate and prove that the calipers are accurate, and therefore the process in which they are used provides valid data. Compliance to ISO 9001:2000 further says that all the operations and processes at Methods Tooling can be replicated because they are based on sound principles, formally documented with trained staff and good technology.”
Michaels recognized that certification would give him a double advantage. On the one hand, his customers would recognize the excellence of Methods Tooling, and he would have an easier time obtaining new business. On the other hand, it would make it easier for him to obtain the services of suppliers, because they in turn would know they were dealing with a superior company.
“Bob Winrow got us started on the road,” Michaels says, “He explained the ISO standard and he helped interpret what the International Organization for Standardization is looking for. Then Prism-e came in and worked with us for several months, helping us document everything that we do. Bob didn’t go away after Prism-e cam in, however. He stayed with us and oversaw the entire process, met with our management team and made sure we were satisfied with how things were going.”
“We began in March 2002 and obtained certification in December. Basically, the ISO 9001:2000 label tells the world that we’re in control of our business. It says ‘here is what we do, here is how we do it, and we can prove it.’ It means that we are reliable and dependable. That’s a huge advantage in our competitive industry.”
The process cost the company about $30,000, for technical support, documentation and the like. The certification is too new for its effects to be measured, but, says Michaels, “We are confident that the recognition of excellence implicit in the ISO 9001:2000 certification will have a very positive impact on our sales and earnings.”
Winrow agrees. “ISO certification and the ongoing compliance reviews and audits indicate a company atmosphere, attitude and commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. Business today is extremely competitive. Every advantage counts. Methods Tooling now has a strong, competitive advantage and can proudly promote they are an ISO 9001:2000 certified company.
For additional information, call 845-896-6934.