tions for products, services and systems to ensure quality, safety and efficiency. Te International Organization of Standards has published more than 20,500 international standards since its founding in 1946. Because the orga- nization’s acronym would have been different in various languages, ISO was derived from the Greek word isos, meaning equal. Achieving certification is not easy. Blue Bird’s Blansit explained that ISO ensures customer requirements are met and that continual improvement is engrained into company processes and procedures. Auto-Jet agreed. “ISO certification is not just something you sign up for and get,” said John Rapp, the company’s president and owner. “We spent eight months and made a lot of changes in the way we do business just to earn it. And, we’ll do a lot more to maintain our certification.” Matt Scheuler is the vice president and GM of Collins Bus Corporation, which is based in South Hutchinson,
Kansas. “A lot more that goes into certification than most people recognize,” he said.
“THE 10TH MEANS THE 10TH” Collins Bus has been ISO certified since 2004 and completes a surveillance audit every three years to main- tain that seal of approval. “Employees recognized it was more protocol and guidelines than they’d ever worked with, but one said it felt to him like a changing of the tides — going from a local company to a world-class company,” Scheuler said. “It was a little overwhelming at first, but once we decided how to implement and sustain the requirements, it became part of the culture.” Rapp, meanwhile, said his 57-year-old company is learning a new standard of meeting customer expecta- tions thanks to the ISO process. He cited the example of a customer who needed parts on a specific date to fulfill its just-in-time manufacturing approach.
ISO certification for Auto- Jet Muffler manufacturing processes means pass- along quality for customers, the company says.
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