Tested and verified worldwide
Standards which are usually easier for Europeans to adhere to can present something of a challenge on a global scale. “The project proved to be quite demanding at some sites. Other non-German plants have already been certified for years”, states Peinemann. He describes certification as a process which takes several years. ISO 9001 confirms that high standards are applied internationally. “Customers like to know for certain that they can rely on certain quality criteria. This certificate objectively confirms the KHS Group’s good system of quality management worldwide”, explains the QM expert.
Employee motivation has also increased following certification, he adds. Appearing together before a German TÜV auditor has internally heightened awareness of the common aspects the group shares. “For some of our factories it was like being presented with an award”, says Peinemann. For him, however, the standard is just one stage of many. “In the future we don’t just want to keep this standard but to build on it”. There will be time to do just that as the current certification is valid until 2019.
Supplementary certificates in Germany
The external auditors from TÜV Rheinland Cert GmbH have also attested to a uniformly high standard being upheld in energy, environmental and occupational health and safety management at all German KHS production sites. The latter are not only certified according to ISO 9001:2015 but also to ISO 14001:2015, BS OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 5001:2011.
The KHS factory in Ahmedabad in India has now also been granted ISO 9001 certification