The saying “consistency is the key to success” is more than just a quote or slogan – it’s a principle that drives our actions at Monument. With this in mind, we wanted to share some of the lessons we learned in working to achieve ISO 9001 certification for our Bayport site – and how we plan to build on these in doing the same at our newest facility in Port Arthur, Texas.

Designing a Framework

Developed by the International Organization for Standards (ISO), ISO 9001 is an international standard that defines requirements for quality management systems and is seen as a minimum standard for quality across many industries. Since it was introduced in 1987, more than a million organizations are now in compliance with ISO 9001 standards.

The Houston, Kallo and Brandenburg sites were ISO 9001 certified when acquired by Monument.  Global Quality Leader Blake Saffer led the charge to develop a suite of custom electronic tools to manage many aspects of quality management and safety. Over several years multisite teams have worked hard to develop and refine those tools.

“Having the right tools, processes, and systems in place is essential to keeping a specialty chemicals plant running safely and reliably – and ensuring we’re consistently meeting the quality system requirements that customers expect from us,” said Blake. “Modeling our approach to quality management after ISO’s principles gave us a framework to follow as we established company-wide standards.”

Drawing on Past Knowledge

When Monument acquired its Bayport, Texas site in 2018, one of the team’s first goals was to attain ISO 9001:2015 certification. With products manufactured there going into pharmaceutical applications, we knew customers would expect the site to be certified. The Quality team quickly began assessing the site to prepare for certification.

“We found that several of the systems used in Bayport were already in compliance with ISO standards, but also identified some areas that needed improvement,” said Blake. “Having a set of standardized electronic tools to drive ISO 9001 compliance really helped accelerate the certification process. Knowledge from past audits at other sites also helped us define actions we needed to take.”

The Road to Certification

Monument uses integrated systems to manage all aspects of quality and compliance – everything from information on audits and permits to customer complaints and employee training records.

Savannah Simonds is Bayport’s Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Manager and serves as the site’s ISO representative. She enjoys having a direct connection with various certification bodies and appreciates the opportunity that on-site audits provide to explore specific areas in more detail.

Savannah noted that preparing for the audit to attain certification was a team effort, with every employee involved in the process. “Having previous experience with certifications and regularly conducting internal audits were extremely valuable in helping us prepare – especially once the COVID-19 pandemic began,” she said. “Fortunately, we already had an electronic document management system in place, which allowed us to keep the certification process moving through a combination of virtual and on-site visits with a third party that conducts audits on behalf of ISO.”

The team’s hard work paid off. By August 2020, the Bayport site had passed the audit and officially earned ISO:9001 certification from DNV – less than two years after the acquisition!

Planning for the Future

Umair Virani, Custom Manufacturing Manager, believes that Monument’s unwavering commitment to safety and demonstrated success in attaining ISO 9001:2015 certification at newly acquired sites has elevated the company’s prominence within the industry.

“We have invested significant time and resources in achieving and maintaining our certification, and these actions have paid off,” he said. “Having standardized systems and processes makes it easier for employees to collaborate across locations, and it also makes Monument a more attractive buyer when considering potential acquisitions.”

Having the Bayport team nearby will be an advantage to employees in Port Arthur as they prepare to become ISO certified. Depending on the timing of their certification, the team in Port Arthur may soon be able to share their learnings to benefit other Monument locations.

“Full recertifications are required every three years, so our work is never done,” said Blake. “We are always looking for opportunities to update, refine, and enhance our approach to ensuring quality and safety.”