Annual surveillance audit covers major requirements; re-certification audit scheduled for 2013
August 14, 2012, ALEXANDRIA, VA – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) successfully passed its ISO 9001:2008 external audit for 2012, an annual two-day “surveillance” process that covers major requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard. No non-conformities were found during the audit, conducted by Bureau Veritas, which provides conformity assessment and certification services.
To conform with ISO 9001:2008 standards, ISO regulations state an organization must be able to provide objective evidence of the effectiveness of its processes and its quality management system.
Many top corporations worldwide have implemented ISO 9001, an international high-level quality system that helps organizations improve communications, processes and procedures to increase efficiencies in their operations.
Increasingly, NIB’s government customers expect their vendors to be ISO 9001 certified. There are 44 NIB associated nonprofit agencies that are ISO 9001 certified, and an additional four agencies actively working toward certification.
In 2013, NIB is due for re-certification, a four-day audit process conducted every three years, where all aspects of the standard are audited in-depth.
“Continual compliance with ISO standards is a significant accomplishment and I am very proud of the NIB team,” said NIB President and CEO Kevin Lynch. “The successful accomplishment of this audit demonstrates how the team has been diligent in ensuring that processes and procedures are being followed for continual improvement.”
###
About National Industries for the Blind www.nib.org
NIB is a nonprofit organization focused on its mission to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and its network of 90 nonprofit associated agencies nationwide serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® and other products and services through the AbilityOne Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act.
Contact:
Laura Reimers
Vice President, Communications
703-310-0453
lreimers@nib.org