Alabama Department of Commerce
Background
APC Helps Alabama Department of Commerce Achieve ISO 9001 Certification
The Alabama Productivity Center (APC) worked with the Alabama Department of Commerce (Commerce) for a year and a half to develop the systems, processes, and documentation needed to achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification. ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized standard for quality management systems focused on consistent processes and continual improvement.
The Challenge
Commerce sought to establish a comprehensive quality management system (QMS) across its primary operations, including Project Management, Small Business, Global Business, Entertainment, and other support departments. APC started the project with a Gap Analysis of each department to identify areas requiring development or improvement to meet ISO 9001 requirements.
APC's Approach
APC provided comprehensive technical assistance with professional staff and a graduate student intern who worked for three semesters. APC built Commerce's quality management system from the ground up, developing process flows, a quality manual, the quality policy and objectives, training matrix, document control procedures and logs, corrective action forms, needs and expectations matrix, organizational structure, audit schedules and reports, management review forms, and other required components.
The process flows were built off an already detailed process flow in place at Commerce. Alan Hill, APC Director, commented, “The Department of Commerce has been dedicated to serving the state of Alabama long before they began the ISO 9001 implementation. This certification will now serve as a testament to the great work they do.”
APC completed the work collaboratively through regular meetings with Commerce staff. APC developed and refined each process and document based on employee feedback, ensuring the system met the standard while fitting Commerce's operations. Intern Jacob Novak, a student from Culverhouse's Manderson Graduate School MBA program, played a significant role in developing and organizing the documentation, with ongoing guidance and support from APC professional staff. Ed Castile, Commerce Quality Manager, noted: “APC created all the required ISO documents, forms, and procedures required by the ISO Standard and guided our Commerce Team every step of the way.”
APC also trained 25 Commerce employees on ISO 9001 requirements and provided Internal Auditor training to selected employees. APC staff, including Justin Rodgers, Susan Maples, and Ben Baxter, then conducted Commerce's first internal audit alongside Commerce staff, helping prepare the organization for its certification audit.
The Result
APC staff participated in Commerce's Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, providing assistance and support throughout both audits. In August 2026, the Alabama Department of Commerce received “Unconditional Approval” to receive ISO 9001:2015 certification, making Alabama the only state in the United States with this distinction. “The Alabama Department of Commerce is proud to achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification, a significant milestone that reflects our commitment to operational excellence, accountability and continuous improvement,” Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair said.
“This achievement represents the dedication of our Commerce team and the tremendous partnership we received from the Alabama Productivity Center. Over the course of this effort, APC worked closely with our employees to strengthen our processes, establish a comprehensive quality management system and build a framework that will help us continually improve the way we serve Alabama businesses and communities.”
The registrar auditor identified Commerce's QMS documentation as a strength, saying, “I am very impressed that you have such highly developed documentation to be such a new system.”
“Commerce was assisted by the University of Alabama Productivity Center's Alan Hill, Morgan Harrison, and their exceptional team. With the APC team's help and utilization of their internship program, Commerce gained certification,” Ed Castile, Commerce Quality Manager, continued.
Beyond certification, APC's work strengthened cross-departmental communication and established a structured process for Commerce employees to identify and implement process improvements. “The Department of Commerce has the utmost commitment to providing exceptional service in all they do. It was an honor for APC to work alongside them for this meaningful project,” commented Morgan Harrison, APC Productivity Engineer.
The resulting system provides Alabama with a standardized, continually improving approach to economic development operations, giving industries another reason to have confidence in Alabama's ability to support their growth. Governor Kay Ivey stated, “This certification reinforces what we in Alabama already know — the Alabama Department of Commerce's management systems, professionalism and reliability are second to none.”
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