Above and Beyond

When Monument Chemical promises our customers that we will consistently meet their expectations for quality products and service, we prove it through our daily actions, as well as through our continued ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.

Each year, our facilities undergo an audit to make sure we are meeting ISO 9001:2015 requirements. This year, both the Brandenburg and Kallo site teams successfully completed this review, despite the challenges of being in the middle of a pandemic shut-down. The effort involves compiling documentation of objectives, roles and responsibilities, policies, procedures, and more. Then, team members from throughout our facilities are interviewed to confirm compliance.

“It’s a year-long process that culminates in meetings with the auditors,” said Leen Props, Quality Assurance Coordinator, for the Kallo site. “This year, we had to do these sessions remotely. We used Microsoft Teams to conduct interviews over four days in mid-April, during the height of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. As a result, the auditor got a good picture of our company’s working methods.”

Brandenburg’s review was conducted around the same time and also done remotely, reported Bonnie Heffernan, Quality Manager for the Kentucky site.

“Maintaining ISO certification is so much more than what is traditionally considered ‘quality,’” she said. “Yes, product quality and quality control [QC] lab functions are essential to the program, but the ISO standard is really focused on a company’s ability to sustainably meet the needs of the markets it serves. This is the purpose of our Quality Management System. For the system to be successful, every individual and functional group across the site must remain engaged in the process.

“The auditor closed the audit, recommending that our certification be continued while citing NO findings and NO opportunities for improvement – a big win,” Bonnie added. “Building a cooperative relationship with our auditors and QSR, the certification body, is a key component of our audit success. This is always true, and it was even more important this year, as we are working under less than ideal circumstances to debut the ‘remote’ audit format.”

Although no findings were listed, the Monument team always takes note of any best practices or ideas for improvement that the auditors provide during the interviews. “It’s important to always look for ways the program and processes can be improved to support the continued success of our business,” she said.

Leen added: “This is a great example of what Monument chemical stands for: being very flexible and adaptable to new situations and always looking for a solution when faced with a new challenge.”