It’s not unusual for manufacturing and service industry companies to strive for independent endorsements of their quality standards though the ISO9000 family of widely accepted quality certifications developed by the International Organization for Standardization. Now, with the help of DePaul University, a Chicago-area bank is seeking to become a pioneer in spreading these standards to the banking industry.

American Chartered Bank, headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., will begin training in November for ISO9001:2000 certification at DePaul University’s Quality Institute. If the bank succeeds in achieving its certification next year, it has the potential to become the first U.S. corporate bank to receive the ISO9001:2000 quality endorsement, bank officials said.

“As we emerge as a large financial institution in the greater Chicago area, we have chosen ISO9001 to help ensure we continue to provide the superior service that has been the foundation of our success,” said Ronald R. Hunt, senior vice president of Consumer Banking and Operations for American Chartered Bank, which has branches in Chicago and the Northwest Suburbs. “Clearly defining processes, measuring results and continuous improvement—all key components of the ISO9001 discipline—will enable us to manage rapid growth in an efficient and effective manner.”

The ISO9001 standard enables organizations to implement a set of eight state-of-the-art management fundamentals that define its management systems and processes for achieving maximum quality and efficiency.

“These certifications demonstrate to your customers that you have quality systems in place to deliver your products and/or service to their exact specifications,” said David Millunchick, director of DePaul’s Quality Institute. “The additional benefits of completing ISO9001 certification can include higher productivity, better defined performance metrics, measurable cost savings and reduced operational risk.”

Launched last year, the DePaul Quality Institute serves as an umbrella for 20 training programs and on-site services designed to assist Chicago and Illinois businesses to incorporate internationally recognized quality standards into their processes, helping them compete for work here and abroad. The institute reaches out to small and mid-sized businesses to teach them the ISO9000/QS9000 and ISO14000 benefits.

Locally owned and operated since 1987, American Chartered Bank is a full-service commercial and retail bank serving privately owned small and medium-sized businesses and individual customers at six branches in Schaumburg, Bartlett, Palatine, Mount Prospect, Lake Zurich and downtown Chicago.

Editor’s Note: Millunchick can be reached for interviews at 312/362-7630. Hunt can be reached at 847/517-5400.