ISO 9001 at GLF – quality management for pallets and wooden packaging

ISO 9001 sets requirements for a systematic approach to quality management. These include understanding customer requirements, controlling operational processes, managing nonconformities and monitoring results to improve the way work is done.

For buyers of pallets and wooden packaging, this includes questions such as:

• how specifications, drawings and order requirements are established
• how the correct documentation is made available in production
• how changes are reviewed and approved
• how nonconformities are recorded, addressed and followed up.

An ISO 9001 certificate shows that a certification body has assessed the management system against the standard’s requirements within the stated scope. It does not replace a technical assessment of the packaging or an agreement on what is to be supplied.

Our page on sustainability and quality describes our work with objectives, action plans and continual improvement. It also contains our published certificates and other quality documentation.

A quality management system needs clear requirements to work from. For custom pallets and packaging, external dimensions and the weight of the goods are rarely enough.

Also describe how the goods will be supported, lifted, stored and transported. A pallet is loaded differently depending on whether it rests on a level floor, is lifted by a forklift or is placed in pallet racking. Load distribution and the centre of gravity also affect the design.

A useful enquiry specification includes:

• The goods: dimensions, weight, centre of gravity, support surfaces and vulnerable parts.
• Handling: lifting, stacking, storage, transport and any planned reuse.
• Construction: materials, fastenings, tolerances and other critical details.
• Documentation: drawing number, drawing revision and additional requirements.
• Checks: what needs to be checked, how it will be verified and the criteria for approval (acceptance criteria).
• Responsibilities: who is responsible for design, review and approval.

For made-to-measure packaging the drawing, materials, tolerances, inspection points and delivery arrangements are confirmed before series production. The need for a prototype, trial production run or specific testing is assessed on the basis of the project’s risks and the customer’s requirements.

For bespoke wooden boxes and open crates the specification also needs to describe the required internal space, protection needs and how the packaging will be assembled and used.

When packaging is ordered repeatedly, it needs to be clear which version each order refers to. A change to dimensions, materials or fastenings can affect both function and handling.

Ask the supplier to explain how changes are approved and how the agreed version is linked to the order. Also agree how to handle existing stock of the previous version, work in progress and call-off orders already placed.

When a nonconformity occurs, it is useful to be able to link it to a specific order, delivery and specification. Ask:

• How is the nonconformity recorded, and how is the customer kept informed?
• Who decides whether to repair or replace the product, and who is authorised to approve a product that departs from the specification?
• When does the cause need to be investigated?
• How is the action followed up to assess whether it has had the intended effect?

Choose follow-up measures relevant to your purchase. These might include recurring dimensional nonconformities, transport damage, delivery reliability or the status of agreed actions. Agree what you will monitor, how you will define it and when you will discuss the results.

Start with the original document and check:

1. The holder: does the company name match the legal entity supplying the order?
2. The addresses: are the operations and production site relevant to the order identified?
3. The scope: does it cover the relevant type of activity?
4. Edition and dates: which edition of the standard is stated, and which dates are printed?
5. Current status: is there an up-to-date register entry or confirmation from the certification body?

Also check the certification body’s accreditation if this forms part of your purchasing requirements. A published PDF shows the document’s contents. Current status needs to be assessed separately, as a certificate may have been amended, suspended or withdrawn.