Volvo CE achieves worldwide certification

In what is a first in the construction industry, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has achieved a worldwide certification complying with ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental care) and OHSAS 18001 (occupational health & safety). This means that all of the company’s sites and functions – from Arvika to Changwon, Brussels to Curitiba, Sales & Marketing to Technology, are working in a correct and consistent manner and Volvo CE’s worldwide activities are complying with the requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. 

The independent audit was conducted by third party specialist Bureau Veritas, amounting to the equivalent of 167 audit days over the 23 sites inspected. Having now drawn up its conclusions Bureau Veritas has this week issued three worldwide accredited certificates for all Volvo CE sites and operations covering ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, and these will replace the 44 local certificates that existed previously. 

“Now, with a common certification in place, every single Volvo CE site worldwide has something to benchmark itself against,” says Navin Modi, delivery excellence director for international contracts of Bureau Veritas. “It is an efficient method of making sure everyone in the organization is working to the same high standards.” 

The three standards audited align with Volvo’s core values of quality, safety and environmental care. 

Living our core values, around the world

To achieve the worldwide certification Volvo CE proved it was a unified organization, under one process model, fully aligned across all sites around the world. The initiative has been given high strategic importance by Volvo CE senior management. 

“Our global certification, covering all three ISO standards, sends out a clear message that Volvo CE is a well aligned organization worldwide and takes its core values seriously,” said Volvo CE president Pat Olney. “The ability to have – and externally prove – that all sites and functions share the same processes and business requirements is reassuring to both employees and our customers. It gives us a benchmark from which the entire company can consistently improve upon.”