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ISO 9001:2000 is the standard for quality assurance when conformance to specified requirements is to be assured by the supplier during production. The scope of ACIPCO's certification is “The manufacture and design of 4'' (100mm)-64''(1600mm)-diameter ductile iron pipe, fittings and appurtenances for water and other liquids.”
In order for a company to be certified, there are very specific guidelines that must be followed. ISO 9001:2000 addresses virtually all aspects of a company's operations that can affect product quality. Not only must a company carry out the activities necessary for manufacturing a product that meets the customer requirements, but there must also be a documented system for defining how these activities are to be performed. Finally, records must be kept to verify completion of these activities.
The purpose is to spell out a company's quality assurance system and prove that employees follow it. In other words, “Say what you do and do what you say.”
The bottom line is to make a quality product that meets customer requirements. ISO 9001:2000 also evaluates a company's system of investigating and resolving non-conformances, and, in that respect, is really a system for continuous quality improvement.
The list of activities that ISO 9001:2000 encompasses is comprehensive. Some of these activities are listed below.
- An “ACIPCO Quality Manual” has been written and published on the company intranet. Copies are provided to customers when requested.
- Quality Control Procedures have been written and published on the company intranet.
- Operating instructions for dozens of ACIPCO Ductile Iron pipe manufacturing processes have been written.
- All measuring instruments that are used in the manufacturing and testing of ACIPCO Ductile Iron pipe products are routinely calibrated to a standard. A central calibration lab is staffed by full-time employees who utilize calibration standards and calibration database software to accomplish this.
- Training for all employees whose work has a bearing on the quality of ACIPCO Ductile Iron pipe products is performed and records are kept.
- A system for control of all quality system documents, such as drawings, operating instructions, and industrial specifications, has been created to ensure that all parties involved have the latest information.
- A register of quality system documents and a separate register of quality system records is published on the company intranet.
- An internal auditing plan has been created which monitors the effectiveness of the quality system. This information is reviewed at the highest management level.
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