Having the ISO 9001 symbol identifies that our firm as having completed a stringent audit system of our quality system and demonstrates we are certified to meet the exacting requirements of a worldwide quality standard. Glotman•Simpson was one of the first structural firms to become registered for this highly sought after quality assurance system.
Our Managing Principal and Quality Manager work closely together to ensure all quality and improvement initiatives are achieved. Reviews of projects and administrative procedures are performed throughout the year to compare our current practice with our stated promises for design standards and client satisfaction. Inconsistencies between actual practice and policy are addressed by providing additional staff encouragement to follow policies or adjust the procedure to agree with actual practice.
The Lead Auditor is responsible for establishing and administrating the Internal Audit Schedule as part of our Business System and the ISO 9001:2015 Standard. Our Internal Audits provide an objective review of our design projects, administrative procedures and business policies. Internal Audits provide quality assurance, and:
- Ensure our policies and procedures are understood;
- Ensure our actual practices match our policies and procedures; and
- Search for ways to continually improve our policies and procedures.
In addition, as part of our Business System and the ISO 9001:2015 Standard, all projects are required to go through an internal design review process, the extent of which is determined by the scope and size of that project. Our design reviews provide an opportunity for each job to be independently verified by one of our Senior Engineers. Design reviews ensure that:
- Our policies and procedures for design and presentation are followed and are consistent throughout the office;
- Key elements of projects receive additional attention to ensure proper design procedures have been followed; and,
- A selection of typical elements are constantly being reviewed to provide an opportunity to develop additional efficiencies in office.
The ISO registration is complimented by our in-house quality management system, which continually monitors our workflow to ensure that our deliverables for every project are carried out on time and on budget. Together, we use these systems to track project milestones, individual tasks for engineering and drafting, project design reviews and shop drawing logs. We also have established proven inter-disciplinary coordination procedures, providing the design team with checklists throughout the design process that helps to minimize change orders. Our quality assurance process is under constant review, so that we may incorporate lessons learned on our projects into the process in order to make it stronger and more project friendly.