Alphapointe Passes ISO 9001:2015 Certification Audit

Alphapointe recently received notification that the organization passed its surveillance audit and is on track for ISO 9001:2015 re-certification in 2024.

“We passed with flying colors,” said Alphapointe Director of Operations Amy McCaslin.

Anyone affiliated with the manufacturing sector likely understands the significance of that certification. But, for those who aren’t familiar, what the heck does it mean?

Let’s start with ISO, which stands for International Organization for Standardization. The organization dates to 1947 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 167 national standards bodies. There is only one body per nation, which means the vast majority of countries on the planet partner with ISO to manage standards.

The organization works to “bring together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant international standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.”

ISO offers certifications in a number of industries and for a variety of processes/procedures. Through 2020, ISO had developed 24,589 international standards. If an organization wishes to pursue a certification, ISO partners with agencies that conduct extremely thorough evaluations to determine if certification is merited.

ISO 9001:2015 is a certification an organization can secure every three years with annual audits conducted in between to ensure compliance is ongoing. Alphapointe has been ISO 9001:2015 certified since 2004 – validation that Alphapointe places a high value on its processes and procedures.

The certification is, in essence, a seal of approval and means that any potential Alphapointe customers can take comfort in knowing that the organization is committed to delivering exceptional products.

“By earning ISO 9001:2015 certification, Alphapointe ensures we manufacture high quality products efficiently,” McCaslin said. “Our certification is actually more intense than most because our processes for accommodating people with low vision are thoroughly examined. That’s an important element for Alphapointe because having these standardized procedures means we’re able to provide good jobs for people with vision loss and put them in a position to be successful.”