ForgeFix has received independent, third party recognition of its quality-focused approach.
The distributor of fixings, fasteners, power tool accessories and hardware has retained its ISO 9001 certified status and met the revised requirements set out by the new 2015 version of the globally recognised quality management standard.
ForgeFix initially achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification in August 2015 following a rigorous and robust audit of its quality management systems across a range of areas - including staff competence and training, customer satisfaction and resource planning. The requirements of ISO 9001 were subsequently revised in September 2015 in-line with a regular five yearly review of the scheme's compliance criteria in order to ensure continued relevance.
Updated ISO 9001 requirements
The most recent changes take into account the challenges and opportunities faced by organisations in an ever-evolving world. In particular, they focus on aspects such as increased globalisation, a greater need for risk-based thinking and the growing use of multiple management systems simultaneously.
All organisations certified to ISO 9001:2008 must transition to the new 2015 version by midnight on the 14 September 2018 after which a certificate to ISO 9001:2008 will no longer be valid. ForgeFix took the progressive decision to upgrade its certification early thanks to its confidence in its existing quality management systems being ‘ahead of the curve'.
The external audits required by ForgeFix to demonstrate its compliance with ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2015 were both conducted by TÜV UK - a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited certification body that offers independent third party assessments.
"ForgeFix certification to the latest version of one of the world's most recognised quality management standards sends out an important and reassuring message to both our customers and our partners," said Forgefix MD Michael Brown. "It highlights our focus on efficiency, quality and customer satisfaction as well as our company-wide ‘right first time' approach. I'd like to congratulate all the team for their efforts."
