Our philosophy and methods of operation are based upon our quality policy, which states:

It is the policy and intent of AWM to:

• Operate a program for certification of management systems in
  accordance with all accreditation body requirements;
• Provide the best available certification service, taking into
  account the concerns of clients, employees and all other interested parties; and
• Pursue continual improvement of our certification program through
  the use of the AWM quality system.

AWM is committed to impartiality in all of our activities, including registration and verification. AWM Top Management understands the importance of impartiality in carrying out our activities, manages conflicts of interest and ensures the objectivity of all of our services.

So what does this do for you?

First, we are an accredited registrar under the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Program. Our procedures and policies undergo continuing, rigorous examination by an internationally recognized accreditation body. This process ensures the lasting security of your registration.

Second, we realize that our continued existence as a registrar depends on your satisfaction with our services. Your concerns and questions are a top priority to us. We view all input from present and potential clients as an opportunity for improvement. Our service quality is evaluated against the highest standards - yours.

Third, our quality system is set up to drive continual improvement of our program. Our internal audit process and your post-audit critiques ensure that our operations are examined on a daily basis. The AWM Advisory Board provides objective oversight of our program, and is an additional point of contact available to all interested parties, especially you.

Fourth, our company is specialized in environmental management systems. We have in progress or have completed projects in sixteen countries and have observed how important the ISO 14000 standard series has become.

We have also done hundreds of environmental audits in the United States for industrial, commercial, and governmental organizations since 1985. Our extensive experience in environmental forensics and court testimony keeps us sensitive to the legal ramifications of audit programs. We maintain vigorous domestic and international business activity in environmental engineering and services not related to ISO 14001. This forces us to remember concepts of practicability and cost/benefit. Our audit teams are not just auditors – they are working environmental professionals.

We do not attempt to apply interpretive templates, or reduce the audit process to a simple "put a check in the box" check sheet. Our audit process evaluates the conformance of the client's environmental management system to the specific requirements of ISO 14001 and the requirements of the organization's system itself. The reason for this is that every EMS is different. This calls for auditors with environmental experience and a checklist which can be applied with flexibility, to any organization.

AWM audit teams are composed of environmental scientists, engineers, chemists, geologists, and management professionals with auditing experience in different types of management systems. Each team is tailored to the specific aspects of your organization so that we can provide you an efficient and effective audit. This arrangement enables our teams to work with your staff to determine where your system is in conformance, no matter how you have it set up.

If you have any questions about the services we offer, please contact us.