WINNIPEG, Manitoba March 7, 2000 Reimer Express Lines Ltd. of Canada and its parent company, Roadway Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROAD), have received system-wide ISO 9002 Certification. The certification covers Roadway and Reimer Express' system-wide management and operation of the transport of customer goods from origin pickup to destination delivery.
ISO 9000 is a comprehensive, standardized and highly-respected measurement of an organization's commitment to the delivery of a quality product or service. It is the only internationally recognized certification of a company's quality standards.
"Roadway's leadership in information technology played a crucial role in our ISO certification," stated Bob Obee, Vice President and Chief Information Officer for the motor carrier. "A primary reason for the certification is our systems, which are centrally developed and highly integrated. They distribute information to all corners of our North American network. The speed, access and levels of information they provide were fundamental to helping Roadway and Reimer achieve the degree of consistency and reliability required to meet the stringent ISO 9000 standards," Obee continued.
"An excellent example is our DocuNet intranet application. Using DocuNet, all Roadway and Reimer employees can easily access up-to-date versions of all company documents, policies and procedures. We also have shipment-specific data collection and reporting right down to the loading doors at our consolidation/distribution centers," Obee said.
Allan N. Robison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reimer Express Lines Ltd., adds, "We have always been THE quality carrier in the LTL business in Canada and felt it was necessary for us to reinforce that position by reaching another plateau of business quality leadership. Although not the first to achieve certification, we are certainly the largest and most comprehensive ISO 9002 certification in our business in Canada. We are so pleased with our wonderful employees who work so hard to maintain an excellence in business quality, which stems back to 1989, when we received the Canada Award for Business Excellence in Quality. This new certification of Reimer Express Lines Ltd. and Roadway Express allows our good customers to have the confidence in our North American service offering, which we feel is unmatched. I would just like to thank our employees for their dedication and customer concern in achieving this certification, and look forward to years of quality service offerings".
ISO standards contain nineteen key elements that provide checks for quality output. Each is important to an organization's ability to provide reliable, responsive and efficient service.
The ISO standards are set up to ensure that a company has developed and deployed the systems and processes that ensure customer satisfaction," said John Bronneck, Vice President, Operations for Roadway. "Receiving this certification demonstrates that we have focused our operational efforts, across our system, on exactly what is most valued by our customers: intact, reliable and consistent freight services."
"It sounds simple; but, it's not. To achieve this class of service is a massive endeavour. Especially when you look at the need to coordinate the operations of a network that includes over 380 terminals, 9,500 tractors, 34,000 trailers, 900,000 customer sites and 59,000 shipments that enter our system every day. And, it's all done with one focus: customer service. Attaining this rigorous and well-respected certification is a testament to the value of our systems and our employees," Bronneck added.
Roadway's President and Chief Operating Officer, James D. Staley, stated, "I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication shown by all of our employees in the pursuit of service excellence. This certification brings our company and our employees much-deserved recognition for their excellence in the marketplace. It is important to note that we have the unique distinction of receiving this certification system-wide, not just for a facility or two, but for an integrated network."
"We have always been committed to quality at Roadway. Adopting ISO 9002 as our quality system will provide long-term benefits for the improvement of service to our customers and for the well being of our business. ISO assessments are designed to help discover quality improvement opportunities, not just to recognize past performance. We look forward to using all of our corporate resources, including the ISO concepts, to continue improving our operations and meeting the future needs and challenges of our customers," Staley concluded.
See the certificate. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download this document.)
