A system for continuous process improvement in wood products manufacturing

Abstract

The WoodMark Quality System, a new quality assurance program for the Canadian value-added wood products sector, was launched in 1999. This represented the culmination of a five-year investigation of industry needs, standards development, and potential benefits, as they relate to implementing a third-party quality assurance system for the Canadian value-added industry. The WoodMark Quality System is an industry-specific system dedicated to improving the quality of value-added wood products, and in so doing, improving the competitive position and global customer acceptance of Canadian wood products. While many quality assurance systems, most notably the ISO 9000 series, already exist and have been widely adopted, the impetus behind creating an industry-specific quality certification program came as a result of the unique attributes inherent in wood as a raw material and the subsequent production and quality challenges. To that end, a set of seven quality standards, singular to the wood industry, were developed. These standards have been implemented in two pilot projects, with positive results.