Issue 83 – Company Spotlight: Armour Valve, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISO 9001:2015…
Company Spotlight:
Armour Valve, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Receiving emails with questions and/or comments from readers of this Newsletter is much appreciated… please continue to do so since it provides me with ideas on what these publications should cover. In my last Newsletter (ISO 9001:2015 Newsletter Issue 82) we discussed the topic of “Should you combine your Management Systems into one integrated system (Quality / Environmental / Health & Safety)?”, and now in this Newsletter we will discuss “Company Spotlight: Armour Valve, Toronto, Ontario, Canada“.
The ISO 9001 Element numbering…
Element 4 – Context of the organization
Element 5 – Leadership
Element 6 – Planning
Element 7 – Support
Element 8 – Operation
Element 9 – Performance evaluation
Element 10 – Improvement
Let’s talk about Armour Valve… About a year ago I received an email from a long time reader of my Newsletters, asking for more information about outsourcing internal audits. My contact at Armour Valve had been an avid reader of my Newsletter over the past 10+ years and a result got to know how I interpret and apply ISO 9001 in a very practical, pragmatic way. After a series of emails regarding the advantages and disadvantages of “outsourcing internal audits”, Armour Valve became a new Client for our firm when I was recently given the opportunity to conduct an onsite audit of their Quality Management System (QMS). Actually that’s not quite correct because when I did a little more digging into our company records I discovered that they had in fact been a Client since May/2001 when they purchased an ISO 9001 Orientation Training CD that I had produced back then.
So why did I decide to highlight Armour Valve in this Newsletter? Simple… they deserved it. Before I explain to you why, let me tell you a little about them. They are a small, privately owned business located on the east side of Toronto (Scarborough to be precise). From their website (https://www.armourvalve.com/)…
Since 1971, Armour Valve has aimed to be Canada’s foremost provider of top quality valves and specialty equipment.
Our reputation is built on our uncompromising commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, as well as our dedication to solving customer challenges with innovation and passion. We believe that our customers should always receive the very best in value, quality, and service for their investment. We work closely with our manufacturer partners to identify product enhancements that meet the unique needs of Canadian industry.
As a private, family-owned business, our reputation is everything. Armour Valve is committed to fostering enduring relationships with both our customers and our partners. Our focus is on exemplary customer service and long-term value to our customers as their trusted solution provider.
In preparation for the audit, I was provided with much of their QMS documentation, which on the surface appeared to be the normal run-of-the-mill paperwork. I saw a few hints of their quality “culture” when I read the thoroughness of how their Quality Manual responded to the 400+ “shalls” within ISO 9001:2015. Their supporting Level 2 Documents (Procedures) were quite extensive in their number, covering all manner of activities and processes (including Accounting and IT !!) but they were also unique in how focused and succinct each one of them was… mostly 1 pagers and sometimes 2… no fluff and to the point. I’d like to say that I was savvy enough at this point to realize that Armour Valve was not the usual ISO 9001 certified company… but years of reading nice words on paper and then seeing reality onsite has clouded my vision… so much so that at the Opening Meeting (yes… they wanted one) I stated that typically my audits can generate both nonconformances as well as opportunities for improvements, and that a new set of eyes sometimes uncover issues that had previously gone unreported. My point being that Armour Valve shouldn’t be shocked with the number nor severity of the audit findings that may get identified over the next few days… in other words, their QMS may not be as good as they think it is.
The first thing that I noticed upon entering the facility is that I was greeted by the Owner who shook my hand warmly and said they were all looking forward to my arrival… and things just got better from that point forward. I asked if the audit plan needed to be changed or adjusted… no, it was fine, they had planned for it and were ready. For a small company (less than 20 people) they still found a way to have two people with me for the whole audit… an existing internal auditor so they could learn/observe my auditing technique, as well as a senior management person to listen/learn and assist during the interviews. Even though I was from the “outside” the information flowed freely and unfiltered. Every interviewee listened carefully to my questions and then came back with thoughtful and thorough responses, without hesitation and with confidence because they knew how to do their jobs. Over the years I have gotten accustomed to people making very grand statements about all of the things that the organization does but then stumble when I begin to ask for proof to back it up (objective evidence)… and I can get this “stumbling” at all levels, from the frontline folks to top management… At Armour Valve they showed objective evidence for every claim they made. I travelled down many rabbit holes and almost every time came back up even more impressed than when I started. Sometimes when an auditor begins to peel back the layers inside a QMS, they find weak spots amongst the many processes… this wasn’t the case at Armour Valve, with only a few minor issues to report. At the conclusion of the audit it was very apparent what the benefits are when Management and Staff are sincere about walking-the-talk. Armour Valve believes in their QMS and they use it to deliver outstanding Quality to their Customers.
Is Armour Valve proud of their commitment to quality? You tell me… I found this statement on the main page of their website: “ISO9001 CERTIFIED – Celebrating 21 years of ISO”… Yes, that’s right… “celebrating”… It would be interesting to survey my Newsletter Readers to find out how many of their organizations celebrated ISO 9001. Normally I would write this off as nice marketing fluff but Armour Valve proved that they actually back up what they say with actions and results!
Final thoughts… Probably the most pervasive theme that I felt throughout the audit was the “Customer Focus” that every person had. After 27 years of auditing I can usually tell when someone is just saying what they think I want to hear… this wasn’t the case at all at Armour Valve, not with anyone that I met… it was a team/family approach to practicing what I refer to as the big “Q” in Quality… which means looking at every interaction from the Customer’s “eyes”… from the time the Customer first makes contact, all the way to when the Customer gladly pays your invoice for what they received. Good job Armour Valve!
Be sure to watch for our next Newsletter issue where I will be answering some of the questions that I get from Readers of my Newsletters about how to implement the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 in a specific and practical way, that will also help improve business performance…
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Need Help?
ISO 9001:2015 Internal Audit Outsourcing (we can do it for you OR with you!)
For cost effectiveness, the Internal Audit function can be outsourced to an external experienced auditor on a periodic basis. This will provide an independent and objective assessment to management, of where process issues may exist, along with identifying opportunities for improvement. It will also provide the evidence needed to satisfy the Internal Audit requirements in the ISO Standards. We have used two different approaches with this service: a) We conduct the entire audit ourselves, or b) We act as the lead auditor, and along with your Team of internal auditors, we complete the entire audit together. This latter approach allows your people to receive guidance and direction from an experienced lead auditor while at the same time maintaining significant involvement in the internal audit process.
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Internal Process Auditor Training for ISO 9001:2015
The two (2) day Internal Process Auditing for ISO 9001:2015 Training Session is focused on a process approach to auditing with the objective being not only to assess conformance of the quality management system, but also to uncover process improvements during an audit. This goes hand in hand with the process auditing requirements found within ISO 19011 and the process approach covered in ISO 9001:2015, which promotes continual process improvement throughout this Standard. An enhanced checklist is developed, and there will be workshops throughout, to reinforce learning, as well as a live, practice audit. If you are looking to meet the ISO 9001:2015 internal audit requirements and to “raise the bar” for your internal audit program then this is the course you should consider.
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Until next time…
Tim Renaud
Helping Business Professionals Reduce Risk and Remove Waste!