The ISO 9001 standard was introduced to give businesses a way to implement an internationally recognized quality management system (QMS). By implementing a QMS, a company ensures that its products/services are always of the highest quality and can deliver on its promises. By doing so, they create a more substantial, more loyal customer base that can help propel them to further success.
Sync Resource has been involved in consulting and coaching companies seeking ISO certification for many years. Through our dedicated efforts, we guide businesses from the earliest stages of the process until they have achieved accreditation and well beyond that point. ISO certification process doesn’t stop when the company attains a certificate however. Since ISO 9001 follows continual improvement cycle, it allows the business to keep improving its processes throughout its life cycle.
For a business, choosing a standard to implement might be a difficult choice. ISO 9001 isn’t an industry-specific standard, and as a result, it can be applied to almost any business. ISO 9001 standard is also the basis of many other industry-specific standards. Typically, when a particular industry wants to implement an international standard, they look at ISO 9001 as their guiding principle.
For companies in industries that already have existing standards, ISO 9001 could be a stepping-stone to achieving industry-specific certification. Over the years, more and more companies realize how vital having ISO 9001 certification is to their competitiveness in their respective fields of operation. Many internationally based clients don’t choose contractors who can’t demonstrate adherence to the ISO standards. Thus, the certification has the potential to open doors and secure clients that competitors simply won’t be able to access. The competitive advantage that ISO 9001 certification offers a business is indisputable.
Aside from the benefits of accessing new markets, ISO certification brings a plethora of improvements to a business’s operations. ISO 9001 specifically targets quality management systems, allowing a company to implement a plan that will enable them to guarantee the quality of their products and services. The ISO document that a business implements can include the entire organization in its scope or be scaled down to a particular department. The flexibility of the ISO 9001 standard makes it ideal for any size of organization. Even small businesses can benefit from implementing the standard.
One of the outstanding elements of the ISO 9001 standard is how industry-agnostic it can be. Even if a company isn’t into manufacturing, it can use it to improve its service offerings. This flexibility comes from its focus on process improvement as opposed to product improvement. The process improvement focus of the ISO 9001 standard allows businesses to develop more efficient processes over time by pinpointing where inefficiencies exist and removing them from the system.
To achieve ISO 9001 certification, a business must go through the steps outlined in the standard requirement document. While the steps may seem straightforward, a company can make several mistakes if they aren’t aware of what they’re doing. Skilled advisors can come in handy in this respect. Sync Resource’s consultants can guide a company through the complex web of ISO compliance and help get acquainted with what is expected from their organization.
Additionally, since the standard is constantly changing and improving, companies that attain certification will need to be audited every year and recertify every three years. Having an ISO consultant present can help ensure the processes are compliant with the current standard and advise businesses on improving. Overall, companies that wants to maintain their compliance with ISO 9001 would do well to check with a professional consultant to work through their non-conformances .
Competitiveness matters in many industries, and ISO certification tells clients that you take your industry seriously. By establishing a QMS in line with ISO 9001 standards, you develop processes that can stand up to scrutiny anywhere in the world. Your business partners will appreciate the fact that you can deliver a quality product or service consistently. Even employees will appreciate being part of an organization that improves its processes to increase efficiency. If you’re looking for a skilled consultant to help you in your goal to achieve ISO 9001 certification, contact Sync Resource today!
ISO, International Organization for Standardization released the framework for the Quality Management system that can be used by masses as ISO 9001:1987. ISO 9001 is applicable to various industries for a product, service, and processes. Since then every 7-8 years this standard is updated, and the current updated version is 2015 which was released in the year 2015.ISO 9000 is a family of standards, of which only ISO 9001 is a certifiable standard.
After the initial certification award, regular surveillance audits are required and mandatory. Every 3 years recertification audits are conducted. The validity of the certificate is for 3 years based on the above-defined cycle. If any organization fails to comply with 3rd party registration requirements/certification body Audit program, there can be repercussions.
If you are limited in internal resources or have time constraints or not familiar with ISO standard it is best to engage a consultant. Once the need for ISO certification is defined, it’s the right time to start identifying consultants. It is important to know that the consultant may not be local.
It will be critical to check if the consultant has relevant experience in a similar industry and can provide a customized solutions based on your unique requirements. Apart from mandatory requirements, the QMS for a Medium size company vs CNC Machine shop will be tailored to each organization requirement.
Please review the details for ISO Guideline for Management Consultancy ( ISO 20700).
While considering ISO certification it is very critical to understand the various costs incurred.
Create and Charter ISO project (Quality Manager)
External Registrar Cost+ Logistic Cost
Consultant Support (if external consultant used)
Soft Cost associated with Internal Audit, Reporting, and Maintenance of the QMS
Recertification cost: External Audit and Logistics cost
Certification can be achieved by utilizing internal resources. The best way is to have a person or team with ISO implementer training/previous relevant experience to charter the project.
