Quality Policy

A cornerstone of Cole-Parmer is our strong commitment to customer satisfaction. This is met by our dedication to deliver quality products, services, and manufacture top proprietary products without compromise. This is delivered through years of expertise, embedding a quality mindset and quality management system for one common goal-to earn customers' trust every day. To build and keep this trust, Cole-Parmer pledges to provide the following:

  • High-quality products and services
  • Accurate and clear product information
  • Reliable and helpful technical support
  • Ease of transactions
  • On-time delivery
  • The highest level of customer service before, during, and after the sale
  • Products that satisfy all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements
  • Facilitate a continuous improvement culture that is enabled through a safe environment to express concerns and ideas
  • Establish and maintain an effective quality management system (QMS) to support our operations and products

Globally, Cole-Parmer is one team engaged to ensure our quality goals remain at the excellence customers deserve and have come to expect.

 

Cole-Parmer Operational Process and System

 

1. Management Responsibility / Document & Data Control

  • The Director of Compliance and Safety oversees our Quality programs at our Vernon Hills location.
  • The Director of Compliance and Safety reports to the CEO.
  • Vice President of Quality reports to the CEO

2. Contract Review

  • We review all orders to be sure we can meet customer requirements.
  • Review our Terms and Conditions.
  • We will contact the customer to inform them if we cannot meet any requirements.
  • For orders that cannot ship at once, we assign a promise date.
  • If we cannot ship by this date, we will contact the customer with a new promise date if the customer opts in and provides us with an email address.
  • We can change an order, depending on the status of it in our system but only do so upon direct request of the customer.

3. Purchasing

  • When taking on a new vendor, we verify they will be able to support the product.
  • We evaluate our top suppliers monthly regarding nonconforming actions in receipt of goods and it is reported within that department’s metrics and action plans.
  • We issue purchase orders that include product description, unique product identifiers and in some cases specifications.

4. Product ID & Traceability / Inspection & Test / Inspection & Test Status

  • We offer commercial off-the-shelf products (COTS).
  • We identify items we sell with discrete identification numbers.
  • We determine which items require traceability & require that of the manufacturer.
  • We check all new items for identification, quantity and visible damage.
  • We inspect stock if we believe the problem may be repeated.
  • We identify and segregate items that are being inspected so they will not mistakenly be shipped.

5. Handling, Storage, Packaging, Preservation & Delivery

  • We have methods of handling items that prevent damage.
  • We have methods of storing items that prevent damage and deterioration.
  • We have methods of packaging items that prevent damage and deterioration.
  • We control perishable items to assure that they will not deteriorate.
  • We maintain a “first in, first out” system of stock for those items requiring this management.

6. Control of Customer Supplied Product / Servicing - InnoCal

  • We receive customer-supplied products for repair or calibration.
  • We have procedures to protect as well as service these customer-supplied products.

7. Control of Inspection, Measuring & Test Equipment - InnoCal

  • Our calibration service conforms to the requirements in ISO 17025:2005.
  • The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) accredits our calibration service, InnoCal™, a Division of Cole-Parmer®, to ISO/IEC 17025:2005; A2LA Certificate Number 1746.01. See: a2la.org for a current certificate. innocalsolutions.com
  • The ISO only applies to the InnoCal operations not to other operations within 625 Bunker.

8. Control of Nonconforming Product / Corrective & Preventive Action

  • Incoming nonconforming items are segregated within our facility referred to as the Problem Receipts Area.
  • We determine the disposition of items in the Problem Receipts Area.
  • A Product CAR (corrective action response) checks items in stock that might be nonconforming.
  • Anyone at Cole-Parmer may initiate a Product CAR.
  • Inventory Control and the QA check product CARS.
  • QA and Purchasing determine the disposition of nonconforming items from stock.
  • Director of Compliance and Safety escalate serious non conformances and decide whether a CAR should be sent to a Supplier.
  • QA can flag future incoming items for QA inspection to assure conformance.
  • QA can flag incoming items for QA inspection to verify supplier corrective action.

9. Control of Quality Records / Training / Continuous Improvement

  • We have a company retention period for our records.
  • We have a standardized process for hiring and training new associates.
  • Our hiring process includes determination of training needs for each position.
  • Each department maintains training records for department associates.

10. Design Control / Process Control / Statistical Techniques

  • We have a procedure in place to alert customers who have requested notification of raw material or production changes, referred to as a Change Notification Program.
  • Each department determines which statistical techniques to employ.

If you have additional questions that are not addressed in this profile, you may send them to me directly.

Michael Whitaker
Director, Regulatory Compliance and Safety
847-327-5501
[email protected]