NEWS RELEASE

RPI Achieves ISO 9001 Status Using Creative Approach

Twenty-nine year old company uses creative approach in becoming ISO 9001 certified

Chatsworth, CA. When Replacement Parts Industries, Inc. (RPI) opened its doors in 1972, quality was its first concern. "As a company that manufactures replacement parts for healthcare equipment, it was imperative that our parts were as good or better than the manufacturer's original equipment parts. And that holds true even more so in today's quality conscience marketplace", said Ira Lapides, RPI President and CEO. Today, RPI is one of the first after-market parts companies in the healthcare industry to achieve ISO 9001 status, and it was accomplished by using a rather creative approach.

Several years ago RPI set its sights on achieving ISO Certification. Their first step was to collaborate with the California Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC), a private, non-profit organization that provides business consultants who offer assistance in developing policies, procedures, and systems needed to meet the rigorous ISO 9001 standards. RPI then organized an internal ISO guidance committee, under the leadership of Joan Woodlock, the vice-president of marketing and customer service, with representatives from each area of the company. For more than two years, the committee met on a weekly basis with the sole purpose of bringing their operations into ISO compliance as preparation for the ISO registration audit.

"It was a challenge, but we are a company committed to continuous improvement, not only with our products but also in service to our customers. Preparing for ISO was simply an extension of our philosophy. Perhaps the best thing we did was to take a creative approach to involving our staff in the process. In fact, every employee was encouraged to contribute to the process. We wanted and needed their "buy-in" and participation if we were going to achieve success," stated Lapides.

RPI's creative approach to preparing for ISO involved various ways in which employees could participate such as creating ISO learning sessions where a notebook of related ISO documents was presented and reviewed. The sessions allowed employees to get together and learn about the ISO process from beginning to end. After completing the sessions, employees were encouraged to participate in daily and weekly games and contests designed to reinforce what was already learned. One such contest focused on employees receiving a one dollar gold coin for correctly answering ISO related questions. Games that were adapted with an ISO theme included Bingo, fill-in the blanks, tongue twisters, and role-playing. In addition, once the ISO-related policies and procedures were drafted by the company's guidance committee, employees were asked to review them and offer their comments and suggestions. In doing so, RPI established an immediate "buy-in" to the process before the roll-out took place.

When asked for advice for other companies seeking ISO certification, Lapides offered, "My advice to any company considering the pursuit of ISO certification, whether large or small, is to encourage and empower your employees to offer suggestions and recommendations for improvement, and, to identify one enthusiastic and dedicated person in your organization, other than the president, to take the leadership role. This person must be able to motivate your employees and lead your company as a team. On the other hand, the president must be able to support the process with total commitment, moral support and financial resources."

Founded in 1972, RPI is family-owned and operated, with 24 employees. It manufactures and markets after-market parts for medical, dental, laboratory and hospital equipment. According to Lapides, "It was a long hard road achieving ISO 9001 status. We did it because we saw it as a way to expand our business and institute a standard quality system throughout our organization. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made for our company and customers, and in just a short time we have already realized many of the benefits related to the time and money invested in becoming ISO certified."

RPI received its ISO 9001 status under the certification body of TUV Management Service. ISO status covers all areas of a company's operations and was created as a universal basic quality management system that can be applied to any business. ISO standards have been developed by the International Organization for Standardization, a world-wide agency that creates, through its technological committees, nationally and internationally recognized standards for many areas of specialization.





	NEWS RELEASE RPI Achieves ISO 9001 Status Using Creative Approach *Twenty-nine year old company uses creative approach in becoming ISO 9001 certified* Chatsworth, CA. When Replacement Parts Industries, Inc. (RPI) opened its doors in 1972, quality was its first concern. "As a company that manufactures replacement parts for healthcare equipment, it was imperative that our parts were as good or better than the manufacturer's original equipment parts. And that holds true even more so in today's quality conscience marketplace", said Ira Lapides, RPI President and CEO. Today, RPI is one of the first after-market parts companies in the healthcare industry to achieve ISO 9001 status, and it was accomplished by using a rather creative approach. Several years ago RPI set its sights on achieving ISO Certification. Their first step was to collaborate with the California Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC), a private, non-profit organization that provides business consultants who offer assistance in developing policies, procedures, and systems needed to meet the rigorous ISO 9001 standards. RPI then organized an internal ISO guidance committee, under the leadership of Joan Woodlock, the vice-president of marketing and customer service, with representatives from each area of the company. For more than two years, the committee met on a weekly basis with the sole purpose of bringing their operations into ISO compliance as preparation for the ISO registration audit. "It was a challenge, but we are a company committed to continuous improvement, not only with our products but also in service to our customers. Preparing for ISO was simply an extension of our philosophy. Perhaps the best thing we did was to take a creative approach to involving our staff in the process. In fact, every employee was encouraged to contribute to the process. We wanted and needed their "buy-in" and participation if we were going to achieve success," stated Lapides. RPI's creative approach to preparing for ISO involved various ways in which employees could participate such as creating ISO learning sessions where a notebook of related ISO documents was presented and reviewed. The sessions allowed employees to get together and learn about the ISO process from beginning to end. After completing the sessions, employees were encouraged to participate in daily and weekly games and contests designed to reinforce what was already learned. One such contest focused on employees receiving a one dollar gold coin for correctly answering ISO related questions. Games that were adapted with an ISO theme included Bingo, fill-in the blanks, tongue twisters, and role-playing. In addition, once the ISO-related policies and procedures were drafted by the company's guidance committee, employees were asked to review them and offer their comments and suggestions. In doing so, RPI established an immediate "buy-in" to the process before the roll-out took place. When asked for advice for other companies seeking ISO certification, Lapides offered, "My advice to any company considering the pursuit of ISO certification, whether large or small, is to encourage and empower your employees to offer suggestions and recommendations for improvement, and, to identify one enthusiastic and dedicated person in your organization, other than the president, to take the leadership role. This person must be able to motivate your employees and lead your company as a team. On the other hand, the president must be able to support the process with total commitment, moral support and financial resources." Founded in 1972, RPI is family-owned and operated, with 24 employees. It manufactures and markets after-market parts for medical, dental, laboratory and hospital equipment. According to Lapides, "It was a long hard road achieving ISO 9001 status. We did it because we saw it as a way to expand our business and institute a standard quality system throughout our organization. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made for our company and customers, and in just a short time we have already realized many of the benefits related to the time and money invested in becoming ISO certified." RPI received its ISO 9001 status under the certification body of TUV Management Service. ISO status covers all areas of a company's operations and was created as a universal basic quality management system that can be applied to any business. ISO standards have been developed by the International Organization for Standardization, a world-wide agency that creates, through its technological committees, nationally and internationally recognized standards for many areas of specialization.




















QUICK SEARCH \| NEW PARTS INDEX \| OEM PARTS LISTING \| RPI TECH HELP \| PLACE AN ORDER \| PAY AN INVOICE \| MOBILE PRODUCT CATALOG \| ABOUT RPI \| RPI NEWS \| RPI LINKS \| USING THIS SITE \| SUGGESTION FORM \| CONTACT US \| HOME Since 1972 the leader in quality replacement parts for hospital, medical, dental, and laboratory equipment. Replacement Parts Industries, Inc. • 625 Cochran Street • Simi Valley, California 93065 • (800) 221-9723 Copyright © 1996-2026 Replacement Parts Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.