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ISO (International Standards Organization) certification of a manufacturing facility covers all aspects, from quality control to accounting, from customer service to the smallest details. With ISO 9001:2008 certification you get peace of mind and the knowledge that you are getting products that follow standards and norms recognized the world over.
ISO is a mark of quality and excellence.
WHAT IS ALL THIS TALK ABOUT ISO?
ISO is simply a set of standards and rules that include ALL aspects of a business. It encompasses accounting, production, sourcing, customer service standards etc. It is a basis for a very rigid set of standards that force the ISO CERTIFIED company to adhere to the rules set out by the International Standards Organization. The ISO certified company must submit to constant audits to ensure that they are following the rules set out. The rules are strict, to ensure that the quality is uniform. This would mean that all similar products must work in the same manner.
ISO certification is VERY expensive and must be maintained year in and year out. ISO certification normally costs at least 100 -150,000 $ to start and then keeps on going. Then there are many other ancillary costs required in maintaining the ISO status. ISO certification is usually for the BIG boys in the industry. They are few and far between since the expense is enormous.
Does ISO really make a big difference?
The mom and pop company or small remanufacturer can claim ISO standards but will never be able to afford ISO certification and cannot truly live up to the exacting standards on a constant basis. Automated filling/measuring (in the range of 175,000$ each) and high end testing machines (5,000$ + each), specialized work stations, advanced R&D departments and rigid testing and controls are the backbone of ISO 9001 certification.
In early 2001, in addition to our regular remanufactured product line, we looked for and finally found several large and established ISO suppliers for those customers who are cost conscious and who also want peace of mind. Peace of mind and consistent quality is the key in our direction towards this type of high end product. It is truly refreshing change for us to be able to provide fully certified products that come with incredible back end support and a great pleasure to sell!
ISO and STMC and other certifications can only help to provide peace of mind and to show our commitment to finding and selling quality products at fair prices.