We at AZO have been ISO 9001 certified for over 30 years. The standard aims to ensure the quality of products and services in the long term - through clearly defined requirements for organisations, their processes and their effectiveness.
But for us, quality is far more than just a stamp on paper. It is created through thought, action and a sense of responsibility - day after day, in every single process step.
In recent years, the requirements of the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS), which are passed on to companies via certification organisations as part of audits, have become increasingly abstract. For us, this has resulted in neither recognisable added value in terms of content nor in economic terms.
With this in mind, we have decided to dispense with formal ISO 9001 certification in future and instead carry out our own self-assessment. We will document the result of this assessment in an AZO declaration of conformity, which confirms compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001 - independently of external certification bodies.
This type of procedure is nothing new for us: we have been working with EC declarations of conformity and CE labelling in the area of product safety for decades in order to prove compliance with legal requirements. We are now transferring this proven principle of independent confirmation to our quality management.
In our view, a declaration of conformity is more important than a certificate with an accreditation mark. It stands for practised responsibility, transparency and the willingness to understand quality as an ongoing process - not as a formal compulsory exercise.
Our actions remain characterised by innovation, partnership and responsibility - for sustainable solutions in the intelligent handling of raw materials.
With our AZO Declaration of Conformity, we continue to make a clear commitment to high quality standards - and at the same time emphasise our conviction that real quality comes from conviction, not bureaucracy.