NSF International, an independent testing and certification organization with more than 20 years of automotive experience, has certified Micro Platers and Paint through its NSF Automotive Collision Parts Distributor Certification Program, a program that certifies distributors who sell automotive collision parts. The certification was announced at the Automotive Body Parts Association's (ABPA) recent conference.
The NSF Automotive Collision Parts Distributor Certification Program requires that distributors have quality management systems in place that address parts traceability, service and quality. The program helps close the gap in the supply chain between parts manufacturers and body shops and was developed to respond to the needs of collision repair shops, insurers and ultimately consumers.
Micro Platers and Paint, a distributor of automotive collision parts and paints to the collision repair industry since 1948, is one of the first companies to earn this automotive parts distributor certification from NSF International.
Certification Requirements
To earn certification, Micro Platers and Paint demonstrated that it has effective records systems and inventory tracking systems to track orders and parts through the supply chain. Micro Platers and Paint also met the following criteria required by the NSF automotive distributor program:
- an ISO 9001-certified quality management system,
- a parts traceability and inventory tracking system,
- a defective parts procedure including a customer parts complaint process,
- the ability to administer a manufacturer's recall, and
- when necessary, a formal corrective action to complaints and an immediate recall plan.
Benefits of Certification
Having met all of the certification requirements, Micro Platers and Paint is now able to use the NSF Certified Distributor mark on its website and promotional materials, which indicates it is an NSF automotive parts certified distributor. Micro Platers and Paint also appears in NSF's online certification listings and will undergo ongoing quality system inspections to maintain certification.
"Launched last year as an extension of NSF International's Automotive Collision Replacement Parts Certification Program, the NSF automotive distributor certification program certifies the ability of distributors, including Micro Platers and Paint, to meet rigid performance standards including having an effective system to track orders and parts," said Bob Frayer, Director of NSF International's Automotive Parts Certification Programs.
"We are proud to be an NSF Certified distributor as it is a formal recognition of the quality systems we have in place and continue to promote every day," said Howard Hicks, President of Micro Platers and Paint. "NSF Automotive Collision Parts Distributor Certification provides an opportunity for Micro Platers and Paint to compete even more effectively with much larger distributors in the market."
NSF Automotive Parts Distributor Certification
The distributor program complements the NSF Automotive Collision Replacement Parts Certification Program, which certifies automotive collision replacement parts, including steel bumpers, step bumpers, brackets, rebars, sheet metal, plastic, lighting and absorbers. The latter program certifies that the parts meet rigid quality, safety and performance standards in terms of form, fit and function.
NSF International, through NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd. is one of the largest management systems registrars (ISO) to the auto industry. NSF-ISR is recognized by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) to provide ISO/TS 16949 certification in the automotive sector and provides certifications to the following: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 in addition to other standards.
