Original Date: 04/28/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Lockheed Martin Electronics and Missiles (E&M) assembled a multi-disciplined, multi-functional working committee to plan and take the required actions toward ISO 9001 certification. One of the first steps was the selection of the accreditation board/registrar. BSI-QA was selected because of the worldwide acceptance of the certification, and BSI-QA was accredited to certify companies for missiles by the NACCB.

A milestone plan was developed for the process to ensure that the certification process was on track. A Quality Systems Manual was developed to include the compilation of all current procedures, and the system was purged of unnecessary procedures. Training was considered to be one of the most important facets to the implementation. Seven lead assessors were trained through a five-day course, and 33 internal auditors from different functional areas completed the three day, in-house training. A video was shown and presentations were made to all hands.

The pre-assessment audit was performed by BSI-QA in July 1994. No systemic issues were found, but the internal audit system needed upgrading and a quality policy flowdown was required. A quality system audit program was instituted using the lead assessors and internal auditors. The assessment audit was conducted by BSI-QA in November 1994, with no systemic issues found, and certification was recommended. The corrective/preventive action plan was submitted in December 1994, and certification was received in mid-December 1994.

The planning and methodology used for achieving the certification was the key to being able to complete the process in the short time period targeted.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.