If you are looking to improve the quality of your products and services and boost customer satisfaction, then a Quality Management System (QMS) can be of great help.
ISO 9001 particularly is the international standard for developing a Quality Management System that will enable companies to constantly improve their operations and meet the needs and requirements of their customers.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what is the ISO 9001 Quality Management System, why it’s important, and what is the current ISO 9001 standard.
The Basics of ISO 9001
As mentioned above, ISO 9001 is the international standard for implementing a Quality Management System. The most recent version was updated and published in 2015 and it’s known as “ISO 9001:2015.”
Any company, regardless of its size, type, or nature can be certified to ISO 9001. What matters is not how big or small the company is but that it adheres to a set of quality management principles, such as the involvement of top management, a strong customer focus, and an emphasis on continuous improvement. By implementing ISO 9001, you ensure that your products and services are always of the highest quality and that your customers are satisfied. That, in turn, can bring many business benefits as we will show below.
The Benefits of ISO 9001 Quality Management System
Obtaining the certification to ISO 9001 may seem like a hasle, but this system is actually designed to provide businesses with a clear and practical framework for monitoring and improving their processes and operations.
With the help of well designed quality management system standards, you can automate your processes, minimise errors, improve communication, and reduce downtime. Moreover, the companies that get certified to ISO 9001, notice an improvement in customer retention as well as a boost in employee morale.
Here are other benefits that an ISO 9001 certification can bring:
- A Boost in Efficiency: By identifying your risk and opportunities and, following the industry standards, and focusing on continuous improvement, you can increase efficiency and reduce costs.
- A Higher ROI: The reputation of an ISO 9001 certification can help you attract more customers and obtain more and bigger contracts.
- Better Supplier Relationships: With an ISO 9001 certification, you ensure that all the aspects of your business adhere to the best practices, including your supply chain.
Does My Organisation Need to Get Certified to ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to perform an internal auditing to identify the processes that need improvement and whether you may benefit from other international standards, such as ISO 14001. You might also have to work with an independent certification body to ensure that your QMS is in compliant with the standard.
It usually doesn’t take more than two months to get certified. Of course, the duration of the certification process depends on the size and nature of your company.
What Do I Need to Get Certified to ISO 9001
The ISO 9001 requirements are broken into 10 sections, called Annex SL. The four key areas focus on:
- Management responsibility: This section highlights the areas of your business you need to focus on.
- Resource management: Determine all the resources you will need to facilitate the implementation of the QMS.
- Product Realisation: Establish how your company will operate to build high-quality products and services.
- Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement: Define the criteria and methods you will use to determine if your QMS is effective and what actions you need to take to improve the system.
Final Thoughts
The needs of organisations and customers worldwide change at a rapid pace. That’s why all ISO standards are periodically reviewed to ensure that they can meet these needs and expectations. When you can be certified for ISO 9001, you can rest assured that policies have been updated, reviewed, and agreed upon by all the members of the International Organisation for Standardization and that the system you implement is of the highest standard.
Do You Need Help Getting Your ISO 9001 Certification?
Being certified for ISO 9001 shows your customers, partners, and stakeholders that you are interested in continual improvement and want your products and services to be in line with the highest and most up-to-date standards in the world.
At Best Practice Biz, we are a JAS-ANZ accredited certification body that can help you obtain your certification and improve your business. All you have to do is schedule an appointment for a consultation for a time that suits you best and we will take it from there.
