Every day, Maxim Crane sets out to deliver the highest standards of service, quality and excellence on behalf of its customers.
But sometimes, that’s not enough. Sometimes you need to prove that you measure up. In other words, don’t just say you’ll show up, show up with the receipts.
One of the most rigorous measures in the industrial world is to obtain ISO certification. It’s an international standard that manufacturers all over the world seek to measure how well they are performing. By submitting a company’s processes to the International Standardization Organization (ISO), companies can better trust one another as well as the products or services made by an organization.
ISO certification is a seal of approval from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that a company’s internal systems meet internationally recognized standards. The ISO is an independent, non-government organization that develops and publishes these standards of quality. Achieving ISO certification helps businesses improve efficiency, minimize risks, and deliver better products and services.
ISO for Lift Solutions
As vice president of safety, Troy Wagner became interested in the ISO’s occupational safety and health certification (ISO 45001). While ISO is often thought of as a program for just manufacturers, Wagner thought it could apply to lift solutions providers such as Maxim Crane.
“A handful of customers in the wind sector, for which we do a lot of work, encouraged us to look at ISO 45001,” said Wagner. “Many of these companies are international, so it’s very normal for them to submit their organizations to ISO standards.”
However, Wagner, who has been with Maxim for 15 years, had his doubts about the applicability of ISO standards to the lift solutions industry. His initial perception about ISO is that it primarily applied to manufacturers and processing companies (chemicals, oil and gas, food and beverage, etc.).
“I really thought it was an insurmountable program that didn’t really have a lot of applicability to our industry,” said Wagner. “But as I started to dive into it, I came to understand that it doesn’t apply to one specific business model, such as manufacturing, and that it’s not specific to just European businesses, but it’s global. To me, it’s about global recognition of our daily business model.”
Wagner started the ISO process 18 months ago. The more he learned, the more he became convinced that Maxim could meet the rigid ISO standards – in three categories. “I felt that we had very robust processes that could meet the requirements to receive ISO 45001. In addition, I also thought we could meet ISO 90001 for Quality Management Systems and ISO 14001 for Environmental Management Systems.”
In reflecting on the process, Wagner said, “It’s a huge milestone for Maxim. I really felt it was important to receive this recognition for the hard work that our men and women do every day on an international scale.”
Why ISO?
“Obtaining ISO certification also is a way to separate Maxim from our competition,” said Wagner. “It recognizes what we do at a corporate level and what our employees undertake every day through an international standard set by a third-party organization that other companies recognize.”
In going through the application process, Wagner realized that much, if not all, of the processes that ISO required for certification were already in place, thanks to transformative steps that the company’s leaders, led by CEO Paul McDonnell, put in place two years prior. Maxim employed a Lean Six Sigma process of establishing a 5S program throughout the entire organization, including each branch location. In part, that process created the evidence that the ISO needed to see to grant Maxim certification.
In 2022, Maxim Crane embraced and launched the 5S methodology for workplace organization, efficiency, sustainability and continued operational excellence. 5S is a certified process (like ISO standards) that has been instituted at every level of the organization. It’s about continuous improvement – giving Maxim employees the tools they need to get the job done safely, efficiently, and effectively. Successful implementation of 5S has contributed to Maxim’s facilities being more organized and safer for employees, while enhancing the efficiency of the organizations workflow.
“From top level management to every employee in every location, 5S was instrumental in our conformance to the ISO standards for all three certifications,” said Wagner.
“I’d like to make clear, this isn’t about winning awards,” added Wagner. “This is to show our customers our commitment to quality systems, environmental awareness and the occupational safety and health of all of our employees.”
And that’s the key phrase, “show me,” because as Wagner stresses: “We can talk all day long about what we do, but the proof is in the pudding. We have given evidence to a third party that demonstrates that we actually do what we say. We have the evidence.”
Looking Forward
The ISO certification process is not a one-off. To maintain its certifications, Maxim must go through the re-certification process every three years. The entire process, from the initial application to future re-certifications, takes a team involving multiple departments.
Speaking specifically about the occupational safety certification, Wagner noted the critical role that the company’s culture – where safety is the No. 1 priority — played in developing evidence. “We couldn’t get to where we are today without our field employees, our office employees, basically everyone who makes this train run,” said Wagner. “The participation that our employees have had in our occupational safety and health program is huge. It’s about voice – they all have a voice in it. Giving our employees ‘stop work authority’ as well as all we do from injury and accident prevention – provided us the evidence of what we do every day here at Maxim.”
“This is a big investment for Maxim,” said Wagner, “and we believe it’s worth it.”
Transformation and a Challenge
When Paul McDonnell joined Maxim Crane he challenged the company’s leaders to raise the bar. Not just to perform better, but to transform the organization.
“I took that as a driver to do what I can to support our leadership in transforming Maxim,” said Wagner. “I spent some time in the military and we would call this a ‘tasker’ – an insurmountable goal.”
The way Wagner sees it, if there are competitors who start losing jobs to Maxim because the company can offer higher standards of quality, safety and environmental management, then, good – they will eventually learn that they need to conform to the new standards to be competitive, and that will transform the lift solutions industry over time.
“We’re putting our cards on the table for the entire industry to see,” said Wagner. “We have the evidence (based on the ISO standards), that we meet certain standards. Do you? You better step up your game or you’ll be left behind.”
