ISO 9001 – Your Questions Answered

Getting ISO 9001 certified is a great way to improve the satisfaction of your clients, your employees and anyone that trades with your company. The standard is suitable for businesses of all sizes and can help enhance productivity and improve the reputation of your business.

However, the process of becoming certified can seem like an intimidating prospect, which is why we’ve answered some of your most frequently asked question questions to help you get your head around the process.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised standard that sets out the necessary criteria for a quality management system. The standard aims to help companies meet the requirements related to their product or service and, in the process, create a better customer experience. This is achieved through implementing a set of systems that tie together your customer needs, your marketing plan, and most importantly, your business objectives.

What are the benefits of ISO 9001?

Implementing ISO 9001 should see your organisation improve in a variety of areas. Benefits include:

• Your internal processes become more streamlined
• Your staff are more motivated due to more efficient processes and greater clarity of business objectives
• Increased customer satisfaction leads to more customer referrals and better reviews of your company
• The internationally recognised mark of quality helps your organisation win more business from abroad

All of these benefits will naturally lead to an increase in profit for your business.

My competitor has ISO 9001 – do I need it?

If you find that your closest competitor has become ISO 9001 certified, you need to make sure you’re following in their footsteps. Here’s why:

1. The certification helps position you as an industry leader. By being certified by an external certification body, it demonstrates your capability of delivering a quality service. Having the certification badge on your website puts you on a level playing field with your competitors.
2. The improved efficiency of your business processes ensures you can keep your production costs as low as possible and therefore offer competitive prices.
3. The focus on customer satisfaction should mean you’re not losing unhappy customers to your competitors.
4. The standard should allow you to expand into new sectors and win new business. There are some industries that won’t consider contracts with businesses that aren’t ISO 9001 certified, which means you could easily lose out to your competitors.

Do I need ISO 9001 if I only have a small business?

ISO 9001 is known as a ‘generic standard’, which means organisations of any size or complexity can benefit from becoming certified. Although there are many benefits to implementing the standard, these are particularly true for small businesses:

• Your business becomes more structured
• You’ll help improve your supply chain
• You’re given plenty of room for development
• Transform procedures to be more cost-effective
• It becomes an integral part of your marketing
• Minimise risks
• It’s tailored to you
• You can audit your own organisation

For a more in-depth discussion of why we think ISO 9001 makes sense for small businesses, have a read of our blog.

How much is it going to cost to become certified?

The cost of getting ISO 9001 certified will depend on a number of factors, such as the size of your business, the sector you’re in, the complexity of the audit required and various other things. Although there are a range of things that affect the cost of implementation, we’ve put together an article that explains the various costs involved in becoming ISO 9001 certified. Read more here.

What steps do I have to follow to become certified?

So you might be aware of the many benefits that ISO 9001 can bring to your business, but do you have any idea what steps are involved in order for you to become certified? If you don’t, don’t worry, we’ve outlined them below:

• Step 1 – Set your objectives
• Step 2 – Perform a gap analysis
• Step 3 – Write and plan standard
• Step 4 – Compile documentation
• Step 5 – Time to audit
• Step 6 – Deliver continual improvement

For a little more detail into what each step entails, have a read of our blog.

What are the mandatory required documents for ISO 9001?

Some businesses are put off by the large number of procedures outlined in ISO 9001. Still, you’ll be happy to know that not all of the procedures are mandatory, and many won’t be necessary to your organisation.

Let’s have a look at what documents are required for you to become certified.

What is the customer satisfaction clause for ISO 9001?

One of the main clauses regarding customer satisfaction in the ISO 9001 standard is clause 9.1.2 – to satisfy the requirements of this clause, you need to make sure you follow these three steps.

• Step 1 – Determine a strategy for obtaining customer feedback
• Step 2 – Identify your customer satisfaction indicators
• Step 3 – Obtain your customer feedback

We explain each step in more detail here.

How will ISO 9001 benefit my employees?

Having happy and satisfied staff is essential for any organisation to run at its most productive. The focus of ISO 9001 isn’t only to increase profit but to streamline your business processes to benefit all areas of the business, including your employees; by implementing ISO 9001, you will:

• Help reduce employee stress
• Make staff feel more valued
• Encourage employees of all levels to become more involved in the organisation

When your staff are in a working environment where they feel comfortable and respected, they are more likely to work harder. Here’s how we think ISO 9001 will help keep your employees happy.

Will implementing ISO 9001 make my organisation more productive?

Inefficiency can cost businesses a large chunk of their revenue, which means you should always strive to ensure your business is operating at its optimum level of productivity. Implementing the ISO 9001 standard will help iron out problems in your business processes that might cost you time and money. Want to learn more about how you can improve your productivity? Read more here.

Do I need an ISO 9001 consultant, and how do I choose the right one?

Having a reliable ISO consultant that you trust is essential in making the process as easy and straightforward as possible. Here’s how to work out how to choose the right consultant for you.

At IMSM, we pride ourselves on offering world-class consultancy services to organisations of all sizes, in any industry, all across the globe. For more information, get in touch.

Will ISO 9001 help me win more tenders?

Winning a tender is a great way to score more contracts in your industry and develop your business. But the process can seem daunting for small businesses, especially if you’ve never done it before. We’ve put together some tips on what to do if you’re a small business considering bidding for a contract. Did you know that being ISO 9001 certified is a great way to show the organisation you want to work with that you have a robust system to deal with their request?