Marshall Center Ready To Meet International Quality Standards, Say ISO 9001 Auditors

Carolyn Griner, acting director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., announced March 2 that the center will be recommended for certification in ISO 9001, a set of international standards used to evaluate organizations whose business processes range from design and development to production and installation.

Marshall has shown it is "world class" because its people can be counted on to provide customers throughout the world with quality products and services, Griner said.

Auditors certified by the International Organization for Standardization spent Feb. 25-27 assessing how well Marshall's Quality Management System measures up to ISO 9001 standards. Auditors found no major non-conformances, only 13 minor non-conformances and seven "observations" (minor areas for improvement).

Marshall implemented its Quality Management System to meet ISO 9001 standards and guidelines in response to a challenge issued by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin in 1996. "We are leaders in the world of space and technology. We must also be leaders in the world of quality," he said.

"Marshall's Quality Management System is designed to deliver quality products and services to our customers," said Griner. "As an organization, we are committed to pursuing excellence, maintaining quality, safety and reliability standards and recognizing the importance of our people.

"This recommendation for registration verifies that our plan measures up to standards established and accepted by the international community," said Griner. "Moreover, this recommendation confirms what we've known for a long time - Marshall Space Flight Center is truly a world-class organization."

Griner said ISO 9001 certification will help Marshall keep in step with numerous certified companies across the United States. "This spring, Marshall will be test-firing a propulsion system for Lockheed-Martin, and compliance with ISO standards is a requirement of our contract with them."

Bob Schwinghamer, Marshall's associate director, technical, led the center's quality certification efforts as the ISO management representative.

"I am truly exhilarated," said Schwinghamer. "I've been at Marshall for more than 40 years. This center-wide effort is totally in character. The Marshall Space Flight Center team always comes through when they have to. And they've done it again. The Center did well and everyone at Marshall is to be commended for reaching this milestone accomplishment two months ahead of schedule. The auditors were tough, but fair. And again, Louis Pasteur's axiom 'chance has favored the prepared minds' has been validated."

To keep the registration Marshall Center must continue improving its Quality Management System. Auditors will return to Marshall in May to verify that improvements are made in the minor non-conformances and observations.