Experiential Systems, Inc. (ESI), a leading builder and service provider in the challenge course and aerial adventure industry, became the first and only North American challenge course company to be awarded the internationally recognized ISO 9001 certification for its National Headquarters and operations centrally located in Dyer, IN.
The ISO 9001 certification is only granted to companies that can demonstrate their ability to meet a variety of industry standards which help organizations ensure that they meet customer, and other stakeholder needs alongside the statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service. In ESI’s case, the certification demonstrates that the company meets multiple standards relating to challenge course construction (ACCT, AEE, ASTM, ACA, CWA, PRCA, etc.) as well as any state or municipal building codes that apply to a construction project. In other words, instead of complying with a single standard such as with an ACCT certification, the ISO 9001 rating certifies that ESI’s products and procedures meet or exceed many different standards including various industry certifications plus local and state regulations depending on the jurisdiction of the project.
The ISO 9001 audit process verifies that every department, job and thus employee follows a set of repeatable procedures and processes and can consistently demonstrate following them. If they don't have a process or procedure for a new product or service, one will be developed and relevant staff will be trained to implement them, as quality and process improvement are a cornerstone of the ISO 9001 Certification.
Through their new certification, ESI will additionally be the only North American challenge course company to be audited annually both internally by a Certified ISO 9001 Auditor and externally by their certifying body SCB in order to maintain this high level of certification and compliance. Other challenge course providers may only receive an organizational audit once every 3-6 years if they participate in any typical industry accreditations, with the majority in the industry offering no verification of compliance with standards and regulations at all.
What this means is that ESI is voluntarily going the extra mile for their clients and team members to ensure compliance with all relevant standards and demonstrate that their products are properly designed and engineered, built to the highest level of quality control in the industry and are audited against and are trained to, the jurisdictional requirements for where they work. And they are the first and only challenge course company in all of North America to obtain this stellar certification.
ESI began implementing a majority of the ISO 9001 standard to its company’s operations starting back in 2011. Over the years, as ESI grew its staff and service areas, it intentionally improved its policies and practices with eventual company ISO certification in mind for its challenge course installations.
In 2015, the ISO 9001 standard was updated to include services and not just manufactured products, and a new goal was set by ESI to be certified for both course and product manufacturing as well as for services like challenge course inspections, staff training and personnel certifications.
After careful review and preparation with integrated activities involving all company team members working collaboratively to improve and refine company process and quality initiatives, ESI scheduled and underwent a rigorous third party, unbiased and independent professional evaluation process involving a multi-stage audit. After a thorough review of the processes and procedures by their auditor and a separate unbiased certification committee, ESI was awarded this prestigious internationally recognized certification on October 1st of this year.
According to Keith Jacobs, CEO of Experiential Systems. "This certification not only validates the level of quality we have been striving to provide our customers for years, but also demonstrates our commitment towards customer satisfaction, appropriate standards adherence, continual improvement, and regulatory compliance where applicable.”
"We are beyond pleased to earn this internationally recognized certification, which speaks to our core values of honesty, integrity, reliability, industry leadership and delivering the highest quality work to achieve the best possible solutions for all our clients," said Melanie Wills, COO of Experiential Systems.
Experiential Systems’ key products and services include the design and installation of ropes courses, zip lines, climbing walls, aerial parks, playgrounds, obstacle courses and other artificial adventure-based structures and related services.
“This ISO 9001 certification verifies the effectiveness and strength of the processes in a manner not matched by any of our North American competitors,” said Don Nagy the Director of Inspection and Maintenance Services” and the inspectors in my department are some of the most experienced and qualified in the industry through these processes.”
Looking to the future, Experiential Systems sees this achievement as a stepping-stone to even greater successes as it continues its relentless pursuit of providing client satisfaction and quality services.