04/29/03
The Chicago Transit Authority has successfully attained its International Standardization Organization (ISO) 9001:2000 certificate of registration from Underwriters Laboratories (UL). ISO registration is a significant accomplishment that has been attained by only eight other public agencies in the U.S.
Certification reflects an acknowledgement by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) of CTA guidelines that ensure the quality and integrity of CTA processes for project development, planning, design, design management and construction management for capital projects including the current rehabilitation of the Cermak (Douglas) branch of the Blue Line and the upcoming Brown Line capacity expansion project.
"The purpose of gaining ISO registration for the capital program is to bring rigor to the systems designed to measure and control project performance, and ensure the result is a quality product," said Frank Kruesi, CTA President. "This achievement represents the culmination of a 15-month collaboration between the CTA and its capital improvement program manager (CIPM)."
ISO 9001 is not a product standard, but a quality system standard. It applies not to products or services, but to the process that creates them. Rather than mandating specific methods, practices and techniques, ISO emphasizes principles, goals and objectives, all of which focus on the objective of meeting customer expectations and requirements.
"A well-designed, implemented and managed ISO 9001 quality system provides confidence that the output of the capital program meets expectations and requirements," added Glenn Zika, CTA Vice President ? Engineering. ?In CTA's case, the quality system should provide that confidence to our three key audiences: CTA customers, our Board and the funding agencies."
The ISO standard specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate two capabilities: its ability to consistently provide a product that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements, and its efforts to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including a process for continual improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable regulatory requirements.
"A primary focus of the ISO standard is customer satisfaction, which aligns with CTA's goal of providing affordable transit services that link people, jobs and communities," continued Kruesi.
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