FAQ: What Is ISO 9001:2008 Certification?

Crystalfontz had our annual ISO 9001:2008 audit in October and we are pleased to report that we passed with a grade of 100%!

But what exactly is involved in ISO 9001:2008 certification (and annual recertification) and what does it mean for a company to be ISO 9001:2008 certified? This post takes a deeper look at everything involved in ISO 9001:2008 certification.

In this post, we ask Debbie, our Quality Manager, to discuss ISO 9001:2008 and what that means for Crystalfontz employees and customers.

What does ISO 9001:2008 stand for?

ISO is short for International Organization for Standardization. ISO 9001:2008 is an internationally recognized Quality Management System.

ISO 9001:2008 is the title of a document (Standard) that outlines the requirements an organization must maintain in their quality system for ISO 9001:2008 certification.

“ISO 9001:2008 Certified” means an organization has met the requirements in ISO 9001:2008. It defines an ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System (QMS). ISO 9001:2008 is focused on meeting customer expectations and delivering customer satisfaction so you must pay attention to the customer.

What has Crystalfontz done to attain ISO 9001:2008 certified status?

From the beginning, we wanted the ISO 9001:2008 effort to be a part of what everyone does every day at Crystalfontz and not just a curtain for certification.

It took a bit longer to truly put in all the required systems for a well-functioning organization, but we did it and with everyone’s involvement and contribution. It was not just the effort of one or two people that were tasked with achieving the certification.

What does Crystalfontz do (monthly, annually) to maintain our ISO 9001:2008 certification?

This question is harder to answer because it includes everything Crystalfontz does to function as a company where:

“Executive management and all of its employees are committed to the quality of our products and services and stated quality objectives. The intent and the spirit of this policy is that we actively pursue ever improving quality through systems and processes that enable each employee to do their job right the first time, every time.”
—Crystalfontz Quality Policy.

Our regular workflow involves virtually every function and process that each employee performs every day at Crystalfontz to service the customer: processing sales orders, designing new products, working with suppliers, providing technical support, producing and inspecting product, shipping product, and managing employees.

What does it mean for the customer when dealing with an ISO 9001:2008-certified company?

It’s important to work with suppliers that will be reliable and efficient.

Therefore, it is important to known that the supplier has a verifiable process for meeting your requirements. ISO 9001:2008 certification provides added assurance that your supplier is operating to verifiable standards.

If you work with an ISO 9001:2008-certified supplier you can rest easy knowing they have a solid quality management system in place.

Can you say something about our recent audit and 100% approval?

In my opinion having worked within and developed and improved Quality Management Systems in the Semiconductor and Computer Industries worldwide for over 25 years, an ISO 9001:2008 audit at Crystalfontz is the most relaxing of experiences. This is because I really am not concerned there are any big gaps in the system. Everyone knows their jobs and they know their documentation. They helped develop them.

Crystalfontz has now gone through a full certification cycle (One full certification audit and two surveillance audits over three years with two different auditors) and had only one finding in the entire cycle. That is excellent! This means the system has been maintained and improved over time.

Thank you for your help with this interview, Debbie.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact our knowledgeable and friendly support staff by email, phone, or chat.