NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Offering customers unparalleled manufacturing quality and transparency in its sustainability efforts, SARGENT, an ASSA ABLOY Group company, recently attained two important industry certifications.
Both certifications, which are conferred by the International Organization for Standardization, also known as ISO (www.iso.org), require extensive and comprehensive review of manufacturing processes.
The first, ISO 14001, is one of a family of standards that help organizations minimize the environmental impact of their operations and processes; comply with applicable laws, regulations and requirements; and continually improve in both areas.
The second certification, ISO 9001, specifies requirements for a quality management system. The quality management system ensures that products and services meet customer and regulatory mandates.
SARGENT Production Services General Manager, Gary Gionet and Quality Manager, Andy Thayer, led the factory’s preparation for certification. Each certification required a qualified third party review of the factory. In addition, documentation of the facility’s policies and procedures were analyzed in areas pertaining to each standard. Finally, each standard required a week-long audit during which staff was interviewed and records were reviewed to ensure that practices align with the provided documentation. By meeting the standards of both certifications SARGENT guarantees a set level of consistency and quality control in the manufacturing process.
Bill Grambo, General Manager, SARGENT, who led the process of attaining the certification, explained that the impetus behind the effort was twofold.
“First, our customers have asked about it,” he said. “Today’s customers want to know that they’re investing in the highest degree of quality the market can offer. These certifications offer third-party validation of our environmentally sound practices as well as our manufacturing processes.”
The second driving force, he said, is SARGENT’s commitment to ongoing and continuous improvement. Both standards require that commitment. To attain ISO 14001, for example, SARGENT had to formulate plans, initiatives and programs designed to reduce harmful environmental impact year over year. There is a continuous improvement component to ISO 9001 as well.
“The ISO 14001 certification aligns directly with our ongoing initiatives to develop and maintain responsible manufacturing processes. Sustainable products start with designing and building products in a way that reflect the standards we are seeking to achieve and provide to customers. This certification reaffirms our commitment to constant improvement in this area,” stated Aaron Smith, Director of Sustainable Building Solutions, ASSA ABLOY.
“We consider these certifications imperative,” Grambo said. “To ensure that we are manufacturing products of the highest quality possible and that we are consistently good environmental stewards. We plan to have yearly audits for both certifications going forward.”
