L.A. Woolley Electric, Inc.
L.A. Woolley Electric Inc. of Buffalo, NY, was in a time crunch. Certification of its ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) was about to expire. A quickly approaching deadline to transition to the newest revision loomed. And the company’s team wasn’t sure where to begin. That’s when Dave Woolley, president of the electrical distribution company, called an old friend. TCIE originally directed the fourth-generation company toward certification in 2009. This time, L.A. Woolley sought guidance in wading through new clauses, interpreting terminology, and discerning requirements from mere suggestions. They needed a facilitator to view the company through the same lens as a third-party registrar. Weekly meetings, discussions and assignments for company staff rounded out one intensive month of work. It was the price to maintain, as Woolley says, “an ease of doing business” with ISO-revering customers and vendors.
- Assessed the QMS’ current state against ISO 9001:2015 requirements by reviewing documents, observing practices and interviewing employees
- Mapped processes of purchasing, sales, production, management, and shipping and receiving functions, and determined key performance indicators and process owners
- Identified risks and opportunities with a process-based approach
- Prioritized and guided implementation efforts
- Verified updated documentation and quality manual by performing subcontracted internal audits
- Trained all employees in QMS updates
- Met qualifications of the ISO 9001:2015 transition with no findings, and only a few minor opportunities for improvement, per a third-party certifying auditor
- Created greater transparency of procedures and transactions
- Safeguarded the company’s penchant for accurate shipments by enhancing processes
- Increased clarity for the status of non-conforming products with an expanded report form
- Improved ability to objectively evaluate potential suppliers with a step-by-step method
Project ROI
How do we measure the impact of projects? It’s a mix of tangible, quantifiable savings with the more elusive “soft savings” – such as cost avoidance and improved customer satisfaction.