ISO 9001

Midland has been working toward ISO 9001 certification and we’re now in the final stretch.  We have our Stage One audit scheduled for April 30^th and our Stage Two audit May 30^th – June 1^st 2012.  Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to receive certification shortly.

It’s been a very interesting process for us and we’ve learned quite a bit. For instance, we’ve learned that the idea that ISO is a cumbersome bureaucratic nightmare is a myth.  It really boiled down to fourteen pages of standards, a great training consultant, a lot of work in documenting all the things we were already doing well, and implementing the opportunities for improvement that we found along the way.  It’s a dichotomy how the preparation can seem, at times, as if it’s adding complexity but the end result is a streamlined system with increased efficiency across the board. 

We’ve also learned that nothing facilitates company wide transparency like internal audits!  The auditing process is a window into every part of the process from Sales and Design to Shipping and every step in between – we’ve all learned a lot about how everyone here at Midland plays a vital role in meeting our shared goal:  satisfying our customers.

     

The subject of customer satisfaction is a perfect segue to share our Quality Policy:

“Midland Metal Products is committed to satisfying our customers.  We accomplish this by deeply understanding our customer needs and by maintaining a rigorous system utilizing advances in engineering and process technology. This enables us to deliver high quality products, at the right time, at the lowest possible cost.  We pursue excellence through continuous improvement.”

This sentiment has been embodied in every project Midland has manufactured since 1929…our Quality Manual for ISO 9001 just gave us a place to put it in writing.

*Our Quality Manual and procedures available to customers upon request.