Case Study: The Journey of ISO, Wilma Buys – Technical Manager: Kew Foundries.

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Kew Foundries has been ISO 9001:2008 certified since July 2012.  Their reasoning for embarking on this journey was to meet the requirements of customers, in particular for export purposes, to ensure consistency in both processes and quality and to continually improve. Buys, sited initial challenges internally such as, the literacy and competency levels of employees, the resistance to change by line managers and continued compliance to procedures and record retention. This was overcome through regular internal audits, awareness training sessions at shop floor level, feedback on progress and recognition for positive changes.

Buys, outlined the process followed to implement the system to ensure compliance with procedures and record keeping, and the benefits from implementing ISO 9001:2008.

For Kew, Buys, attributes the key success factors to the buy-in of all employees and the participation and commitment from top management both before, during and after ISO Certification.  Regular meetings across all departments has allowed for improved communication, and the ability to respond faster and see potential problems quicker through the data that is at ones fingertips.

ISO has provided Kew with a competitive edge especially for export orders and improving customer service.