PVA’s Headquarters in Halfmoon, NY, home to its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is ISO 9001:2015 certified.
The International Organization of Standards (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental, organization. It is the largest developer of voluntary international standards which are used to facilitate trade by providing common standards for businesses and governments around the globe.
The ISO 9001 standards refer to the requirements needed to implement an effective and efficient Quality Management System (QMS) and is one of the most common and sought-after certifications. PVA volunteered to comply with these standards to reassure our customers of our commitment to quality. The ISO 9001:2015 certification process began in 2020.
PVA worked with Relay Integrated Logistics & Solutions, a third-party contractor, to help us prepare for the ISO certification audit. With Relay, we were able to implement quality practices such as:
- A company-wide calibration program encompassing 500+ critical measurement tools.
- A digital tracking system of non-conforming parts, creating a leaner production process.
- Establishing quality objectives as well as performing an internal audit and management review.
- Comprehensive document control system allowing for the standardization of over 100 quality procedures and work instructions.
By the fall of 2020, PVA was ready for its certification audit. Dekra, an ISO certification contractor, performed a two-stage audit to assess PVA’s new QMS.
The first phase of the audit was a two-day evaluation of our documental conformance to the 9001 standards. The second phase of the audit focused on the implementation of our QMS. On October 25th, 2020 PVA was awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Since becoming certified, we have been working on implementing these improvements:
- A refined process for identifying superfluous parts to reduce inventory costs.
- The reduction of the average monthly cost of parts damaged in production by more than 10 percent.
- Reevaluation of our collection of customer satisfaction data to generate more actionable information.
- Creation and training of a Document Control team to help facilitate the standardization of all PVA quality documents.
With a QMS in place, we have been able to address possible issues and resolve them quickly and efficiently before they can affect our customers. Following the ISO 9001 standards has facilitated this constant improvement and emphasis on quality. As we move forward, PVA continues to look for ways to provide the best possible product to our current and future customers.