Quality management is cited as one of the main opportunities for continued business development. It would seem that companies worldwide have taken this advice as gospel, with the Quality Management Software marketing being worth $11 billion in 2022.
As a global solution to quality management excellence, ISO 9001 is a popular compliance measure for companies of all sizes. There are more than one million ISO 9001-certified organisations globally, with these figures looking to increase significantly as more businesses choose to align with ISO compliance implementation measures.
You have likely found this article as you are questioning the importance of ISO 9001 and want to know more about how it can improve your business. As advocates of the scheme at Creative Networks, we are passionate about the benefits that this versatile scheme provides. Continue reading to discover why ISO 9001 is so important in 2022 and beyond.
What is ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is an internally recognised Quality Management System standard covering each department within a business. The purpose of ISO 9001 is to help companies implement systems that improve the quality of their products whilst ensuring customer expectations are being met.
At the core of the certification are the seven pillars, which are as follows:
- Customer Focus (Satisfaction, product excellence, and meeting expectation at all times)
- Engagement of People (This includes employees, suppliers, competitors, and consumers)
- Process Approach (Ensuring that each project has a uniform process)
- Relationship Management
- Evidence-Based Decision Making (Based on facts and not opinions)
- Leadership Skills and Performance
- Continual Improvement (Across departments and products)
ISO 9001 is designed to help companies improve their processes, meaning any issues can be resolved quickly without a knock-on impact on wider productivity.
You can learn more about the ISO 9001 accreditation by clicking here.
How Does ISO 9001 Improve a Business?
The reason you are here is to find out why ISO 9001 is so essential to a company. While ISO 9001 is not a legal requirement, it can still greatly impact operations for businesses of all sizes and from any sector.
This compliance measure is important as it’s the tool companies need to compete in increasingly tough markets. With the power to improve performance and save money, we believe that all organisations should adopt this standard. Not convinced? The following reasons outline exactly why ISO 9001 is such an important accreditation to invest in.
- Improve Employee Experience and Engagement
One of the outcomes of ISO 9001 is that companies can work together more succinctly. This requires connectivity between departments to ensure that procedures, such as issue resolution and customer service provision, can be managed professionally.
Companies with higher employee engagement levels are 21% more profitable. As this accreditation requires everyone to be involved, companies all benefit from improved employee performance. This is important as employees are the company’s centre, holding unique knowledge and being the main brand advocates.
What does a positive employee experience lead to? A thriving company culture! This brings with it a whole host of advantages including high recruitment levels, improved retention, increase in idea generation, and reduced loss of profits on staff sickness to name just a few.
- Model for Business Changes and Scaling
The process and systems implemented under ISO 9001 are important as they allow companies to change and develop safely. The accreditation effectively facilitates new business changes by offering a way to assess risks and manage changes.
One of the biggest risks of changing operations or releasing new products is losing customer attention. With ISO 9001, you can ensure that your buyers are always considered, no matter how small the change may be.
- Operational Efficiency and Higher Levels of Productivity
Companies can reduce costs by working efficiently while ensuring more outputs are experienced. Quality allows you to eliminate any issues that could cost your business. Whether assessing a product part and selecting a better one or having an automated system for customer feedback, all processes add to a company’s coherence.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction Levels
The purpose of ISO 9001 is to improve customer experience. Having the right steps to deal with feedback, mitigate risk, and process comments efficiently will soar your satisfaction levels. This will improve confidence levels and mean your business is a force to be reckoned with in its operating market.
- Streamlined Processes Across Departments
26% of leaders say that bad cross-team collaboration is the biggest hindrance to project management. These issues are eliminated by aligning with the systems that ISO 9001 outlines. Instead, departments know where they fit in the company-sized puzzle. They also have clear lines of communication available, which reduces stress long term.
The accreditation also makes it simple for gaps to be highlighted, meaning that any problems can be resolved before they snowball into a much larger issue.
- Informed Decision Making
All decisions can be facts-backed, with a clear process available for how they can be formulated to ensure the businesses best interests are being considered.
- More Financial Opportunities
Investing in ISO 9001 is important if you want to thrive financially. Not only is a company seen as a safer option, meaning it benefits from lower insurance premiums, but it also appeals to more suppliers and customers.
Some tenders will even have the accreditation included as a staple must-have. Furthermore, as it is internationally recognised, it makes it easier for businesses to enter new markets and territories.
- Established Brand Image and Credibility
Last but not least are the benefits to brand image.
If a company is seen to be ISO 9001 registered, they are looked at as a safe bet. For customers, it means that they are likely to receive a better service and end product. For suppliers, the risk of delayed projects or cost changes are eliminated as the business is seen to be efficient.
How Can You Get ISO 9001 Accredited?
As you can see, the benefits of obtaining this accreditation mean that it is important to factor ISO 9001 into your plans. With the right support, the solution for becoming ISO 9001 certified in the UK is simple.
Choose a Professional Agency
As the process requires top level analysis and system configuration, it is recommended that you bring in dedicated support for the project. The Creative Network ISO 9001 service includes complete management of the configuration, application, and long-term adherence stages to ensure that businesses pass the first time.
The agency will then be able to conduct all following steps and also conduct the certification process if they have the right certification themselves.
Conduct a Gap Analysis
This involves assessing where the company currently stands versus where it needs to be if it wants to be ISO accredited. During this process, the entire business will need to be mapped, with a clear focus being paid to customer experience and the elements that create this.
Assessment
This process then involves multiple internal and external audits to prove that the correct systems are in place. This stage involves checking that reporting systems are working and understanding the resolution process. Companies must provide proof of their systems and personnel, which is why a business-wide focus is essential.
ISO 9001 is a brilliant quality management standard to align with as it includes follow-up measures which must be met. Ongoing internal assessments and process testing are required to obtain the certification.
Apply for ISO 9001 With Creative Networks
Does ISO 9001 sound like a great option for you? ISO certifications are a great way of showing competitors and customers that you mean business. With markets being so aggressive, proving that you are able to work with efficiency and consistency is a huge benefit.
Alongside our ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 services, our ISO 9001 support is hugely popular. To start your journey to quality excellence which can last a lifetime in your organisation, contact us today.
