What is ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for Quality Management Systems and focuses on regulating processes that are already in place to improve efficiency.
Why miss out on the investment of ISO 9001? Over 1 million companies currently have the quality standard implemented into their business.
This short blog will uncover why so many organisations choose to become certified, and how it enables them to win new business.
Open Doors for Tenders
Many contractors look for ISO 9001 when it comes to tendering as it proves that your company meets certain requirements which demonstrate commitment to quality. For many tenders, ISO 9001, the quality management standard is a requirement and without this, your company may not qualify to tender for the work. Why miss out?
Companies operating within highly competitive industries will benefit by becoming ISO 9001 certified as by doing so you are evidencing your ability to deliver quality services or products.
It Starts with Staff
A product or service is only as good as the employees producing or delivering it. Unsatisfied employees with poor morale are unlikely to be working as efficiently as possible, which we know has a knock-on effect when it comes to customer satisfaction. With this in mind, it’s integral that your staff are well informed of their job roles, have clearly defined targets, and are familiar with quality processes and procedures.
With ISO 9001, the aim is to improve your company’s efficiency and productivity to create the best quality processes. When employees are clearer on objectives, they become more consistent which leads to happier customers. When your employees receive recognition for their hard work through customer feedback, they will likely feel more satisfied in their job.
It is no secret that word of mouth is extremely powerful. The better your product and/or service, the more opportunities arise to acquire new customers.
Improve Customer Satisfaction
Understanding customers’ needs and reviewing customer feedback allows your company to see what employees are doing well, and where the opportunities for improvement are.
ISO 9001 ensures customer feedback is regularly monitored and that there are clear processes in place, for example looking at how complaints are dealt with and how improvements are made.
It’s important to remember that retaining existing customers for many businesses is equally as important as acquiring new ones. The best way to retain customers is by implementing ISO 9001, as you will be meeting customer requirements better as a result of having a quality management system.
Identifying Risks and Opportunities
Winning new business as a result of the quality management standard is great, but improving the organisation’s overall focus, the ability to identify risks and opportunities, and improving employee morale are just a few more of the many other benefits ISO 9001 offers.
Without getting too technical (we’ll leave that to our expert consultants!) section 6.0 of the ISO 9001 standard is primarily concerned with the ‘plan’ part of the plan, do, check, act cycle. Which, by the way, we have an article here if you would like to read more about what the plan, do, check, act (PDCA) cycle is.
The concept of risk has always been part of the ISO 9001 standard. The objective is that by addressing risk throughout your organisation’s processes, the quality output is more consistent and customers are more likely to receive the required products or services and be satisfied.
Planning involves thinking about the risks that could arise in the future and addressing these through adequate control measures. Clause 6 of the ISO 9001 deals with this and requires an organisation to take a risk-based approach and plan for the uncertainties proactively preventing undesired effects. So, your organisation will need to identify, determine, and evaluate risks and opportunities related to the quality management system (QMS) performance. The process must also include taking appropriate actions to address these risks and opportunities.
Getting Started with ISO
If you want to boost profitability within your company and demonstrate your ability to meet your customers’ and other key stakeholders’ requirements, then becoming certified in ISO 9001 is the right investment for your business.
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