North American Metal Supermarkets store awarded ISO 9001 certification

Metal Supermarkets Fort Worth is the first North American store to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation. ISO 9001 is the world’s most established quality framework, currently being used by more than 1 million organizations in 178 countries worldwide, and sets the standard not only for quality management systems, but management systems in general. It helps a variety of organizations succeed through improved customer satisfaction, staff motivation and continual improvement. In addition to Fort Worth, five Metal Supermarkets UK stores – Southampton, Park Royal (London), Leeds, Gateshead and Govan (Glasgow) – are also ISO 9001 accredited.

Douglas Gillingham, Store Manager at Metal Supermarkets Fort Worth, talks about the certification process. “We have always been quality and process driven, so it didn’t seem like a big transition for us. We just didn’t have the documentation required for certification and the audit. In fact, the ISO auditor commended us for being the first company she ever audited that did not have any observations or non-conformances during a systems review.”

“The driving force behind getting certified, and most things we do at Metal Supermarkets, is to make sure our customers get exactly what they want, when they want it,” says Gillingham. “We are excited because the ISO 9001 will likely open doors for us with new and existing customers.”

Being ISO 9001 ensures there is proper documentation for all processes and procedures. In turn, the documentation allows the company to easily maintain a historical record of all their transactions. For instance, employees perform a weekly equipment check, and there is a record of who performed it and what the calibrations are for each piece of equipment. This can all be boiled down to the end goal of reaching the pinnacle of customer satisfaction. Since customer satisfaction is such a big part of the certification and the Metal Supermarkets business, the company has multiple ways to track customer feedback – on the phone, in person, and the newest way through online customer feedback.

“Metal Supermarkets Fort Worth exemplifies excellence in operations, strength in performance, and true dedication to the Metal Supermarkets’ brand,” says Stephen Schober, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Metal Supermarkets Family of Companies. “Their level of service enables them to consistently supply to a large number of blue chip companies on a regular repeat basis, including companies like Bell Helicopter/Division of Textron, Trinity Forge and Miller/Coors Brewery, to name but a few. By earning the ISO certification, they are confirming their position as a trusted service partner to their current and future customers.”