While the annual audit for ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification is a known and scheduled event at Monument, its importance to our company and sites cannot be overstated. This globally recognized certification is the seal of approval we rely on to ensure our customers have added assurance to know they can, in turn, rely on us. And it’s a status we can’t afford to take for granted.

With that in mind, we want to recognize and thank Bonnie Heffernan, Quality Manager, and Lauren Hamilton, Quality Engineer, for overseeing the audit in Brandenburg, where we were recently recommended for continued certification of the site under the ISO 9002:2015 standard. “Bonnie and Lauren really do a super job in providing strong oversight of our ISO 9001 quality management system. They own it and keep everyone involved with our quality management on point all year. Good preparation is half the battle... They both take a lot of well-deserved pride in getting it done right,” says Ken Babcock, Brandenburg Site Leader. 

“I’ve worked at Monument for nearly 20 years,” said Bonnie. “The work I do here, as well as this recognition, means a lot personally and professionally.”

“ISO certification is big,” said Blake Saffer, Global Quality Leader. “It evaluates everything from management, to communications, purchasing, document control, and how complaints are handled.”

And once the annual audit has been completed, there is – perhaps – just a small sigh of relief knowing that the work of continuous process improvement doesn’t take a moment’s break.

“The work in between audits is significant – especially when you are identifying and closing gaps in the process along the way,” said Adam Pingel, VP, Operations.

But like a lot of big achievements, ISO certification is really the result of a team effort.

“We couldn’t do this without everyone’s participation. For this to be a success takes everyone’s responsibility in the program. It’s a cultural commitment that has to be embraced by all employees at every site,” said Bonnie.

Another factor that helps keep the Brandenburg team on track is the internal audits done twice a year by a team of trained and certified colleagues. It helps keep everyone on their toes. But with the dedication of Bonnie and Lauren, backed by a team they can rely on – every day – it makes the journey just a little bit easier.