When we talk about helping companies obtain ISO 9001:2015 certification, people often ask us, “Why does our company need to be ISO 9001 certified?”
The benefits of ISO certification are numerous, yet, you may still be wondering if an ISO 9001 certification is right for your company. No matter how big or small the business, the ISO 9001 quality management standard can make a huge difference for your company.
The Problems That ISO 9001 Certification Solves
Imagine a world without management systems. Companies would sell substandard products and deliver poor services without ever improving or striving to improve. Companies would make countless mistakes without ever learning from them. There would be constant repairs and reworking – or the customer would receive bad products or services. Costs would increase. Customers would be increasingly dissatisfied.
In a global marketplace, checks and balances need to be in place. Otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain consistency and quality across industries and nations. International standards help to keep a level playing field, and the guidance is set by ISO.
The ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard is the most well-known and most widely implemented standard for a quality management system worldwide.
The following benefits are obtained by following the international standard requirements like ISO 9001:2015.
Meet Customer Requirements
Many companies want ISO 9001 certification just to satisfy one customer requirement. The customer states that it will only do business with vendors that are certified as ISO 9001 compliant, so to get (or keep) the business they need that certification. The problem with these companies is that they’re looking for a short-term payoff. They see nothing but that one benefit and ignore the long-term benefits, like “if we keep the customer well satisfied, they will want to come back again and again”.
They don’t embrace the concept of quality through continual improvement. They don’t understand that continued customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal of a QMS. In other words, these companies haven’t “bought into the program”. Focusing only on that one benefit — your immediate gain — without putting the customer in front will end up costing you much more in the long run. Hopefully, some of the quality management system ideas may rub off and eventually stick…but wouldn’t you rather have a plan than trust to luck?
This is exactly what a company would obtain from implementing an ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Ensuring that your product or service do comply to the customers requirements.
Get More Revenue and Business from New Customers
Once you obtain your ISO 9001:2015 certification, you can advertise your quality certification and respond to requests for quotes from companies and clients that make ISO 9001:2015 certification a requirement. ISO 9001 certification can open up new markets you were virtually unable to do business with before your certification.
Improve Processes and Product Quality
ISO 9001 is a comprehensive framework that addresses all key processes throughout the company – not just quality control. By taking such a broad view, ISO 9001 leads not only to quality products and services, but also to improved production and service provision with less rework and lower cost. From process integration to improvement, the ISO 9001 standard is all about quality processes. In fact, the current year 2015 revision of ISO 9001 focuses on the “process approach” as a central pillar of ISO 9001. The idea is that a process-based Quality Management System connects interrelated processes to form a cohesive whole to ensure that processes are not only managed individually but with a view towards how they affect other processes within the company.
Better Decision-Making
Good decision-making is key to business success. ISO 9001’s structured framework for quality management provides management with both information and processes for fact-based decisions that rely on evidence, not merely on gut feelings.
An ISO 9001-based Quality Management System, especially one that has been audited and certified, will have a built-in process for gathering and analyzing data. Management will gain insights into which processes are working and which ones need tweaking or improvement.
All of this will help you improve your decision-making process. Never again will you be throwing darts in the dark but charting a direction based on real, actionable information.
Improve the Consistency of Your Operations
What is consistency? Well, one way to think of it is “decreased variation”. Reducing the variation in your processes is the definition of consistency. Is your customer better served by you supplying them with a consistent product — same dimensions, same weight, same tolerances, same output every time — or by your products being unpredictable and “all over the place”? (I hope you’re not thinking too hard on this.)
And how do you decrease variation? Increase control of your processes! Control comes from having a clear target to shoot for (objective), collecting data on the process (metrics), and understanding how to adjust the process (procedures and work instructions) to maintain the target output. If your ISO 9001 QMS is working, you should be increasing operational…and product…consistency.
And this is only but a few of the benefits from obtaining your ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Enjoy the benefits of ISO Certification. Once your company has become ISO 9001 certified, you can now enjoy the benefits of ISO 9001 certification, including happier customers, increased profits, and a better reputation. Congratulations!
Start your process today by downloading and completing this questionnaire.
