ISO - Why Should I Care?

Why are all Big Macs the same? Ever wonder about it – different stores, different states – but every Big Mac looks and tastes the same. By chance? Hardly – they have a standard and everyone making Macs is trained to the same standard.

 Standards are generic rules or guidelines that help a business to achieve quality, consistent performance. In our world, one such standard is ISO 9001:2008.

ISO stands for the International Standards Organization, headquartered in Geneva. Here people from around the world assemble to write standard guidelines for various processes. Among them is ISO 9001, a guideline for managing a manufacturing or service business process. The 2008 revision is the most recent version.

Ok, so you bring a vehicle in for service. Why do you care if your repair shop is ISO certified or not? What’s in it for you???

ISO is a set of guidelines about how work is done. Not how to repair a broken radiator, but how to organize the process that gets the radiator fixed correctly each time. ISO calls for an orderly process of accessing the need for repair, obtaining quality repair parts, providing a trained and competent technician and concludes with an inspection of the completed job. ISO calls for careful attention to the condition of tools, such as calibrating torque wrenches and measuring tools. Customer property, i.e. keys, vehicle, personal information; are also carefully maintained and secured. Should there be an error in the repair, such errors are corrected as soon as possible and documented and reviewed to prevent future recurrence.

Why should I care about ISO? Because ISO provides the best framework for consistent, quality performance and that translates into a safe and comfortable ride for you. Just further strengthening of the thin line of trust between you and those doing the critical service on your vehicle.