The International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) is the world’s leading developer of voluntary International Standards. Their standards are designed to provide solutions and best practices that can be applied to virtually any technology and business. These standards help businesses and organizations increase productivity while protecting consumers and the environment.
These standards, which were established through global consensus, aim to eliminate trade barriers. Some of the most prominent standards are ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001.
ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) is the most recognized standard in the world.
Its purpose is to make it easier for organisations to meet the needs their customers and other stakeholders. This is accomplished by creating a framework to ensure consistency in the provision or services of goods and/or products.
The 7 quality management principles that underpin the standard are: strong customer focus, involvement of top management and drive for continuous improvement.
These are the seven quality management principles:
1 – Customer focus
2 – Leadership
3 – Engagement of people
4 – Process approach
5 – Improvement
6 – Evidence-based decision making
7 – Relationship management
These principles do not have a priority order. The relative importance of each principle can vary from organization to organisation and may change over the course of time.
Why ISO 9001 Certification?
The ISO 9001 certification gives objective proof to your staff and your clients that customer satisfaction is at your core.
ISO 9001 is a key benefit
Increased revenue: Using ISO 9001 as a reputation can help to win more contracts and tenders. Customer satisfaction and retention will be improved by increasing efficiency.
Your credibility will be improved: Organizations looking to find new suppliers often require a QMS based ISO 9001. This is particularly true for those working in the public sector.
You can improve customer satisfaction by better understanding your customers and reducing errors. Customers will be more confident in your ability deliver quality products and services.
Increased operating efficiency: By following industry best-practices and focusing upon quality, you can lower costs.
Improved decision-making: You are able to quickly recognize and fix problems, which will allow you to make better decisions in the future.
You can improve employee engagement by ensuring everyone works towards the same goal. Participating in process improvement designs makes employees happier and more productive.
Better process integration: Examining the process interactions can help you find efficiency improvements faster, reduce errors, save costs, and improve your overall process integration.
Continuous improvement culture: This is the third principle under ISO 9001. This is the ability to implement a systematic approach to identifying opportunities for improvement and exploiting them.
Better supplier relationships: Best-practice processes lead to more efficient supply chains. Certification can help signpost these to your vendors.
The ISO 9001 Certification Process
You will need to plan, commit and have the resources necessary to be ISO 9001-certified. QMS (our certification body) recommends that you follow a 3-step process.
Gap Analysis
The consultant visited our offices to examine and document our current procedures and processes. He then pointed out any areas that were not in line with the requirements of the standard.
Implementation
Any modifications to existing processes and procedures must be made.
Certification
Every year, an auditor visits our offices to make sure that all documentation is being followed. A new certificate is issued once the auditor is satisfied.
What are the criteria for choosing a certification body to be certified?
UKAS accredited certification bodies are able to independently audit an organisation and give you ISO 9001 certification. International Accreditation Forum allows you to search for comparable international organizations.
Evaluate several certification bodies.
Make sure the certification body uses the appropriate CASCO standard and is accredited.
Although not required, accreditation provides independent confirmation that a person is competent.
Why is ISO 9001 so significant?
We have produced thousands of hours’ worth of elearning content to support our clients. This includes everything from custom learning experiences to rapid elearning. Each module we develop is responsive, user-friendly, engaging, consistent with the client’s style guidelines, and easily accessible. Quality is only half the story. The process governance is an equally important part.
Process governance refers the ability of our company to effectively partner with clients to ensure a consistent development process that is transparent, reliable, and can consistently produce high-quality online learning courses on schedule and within budget.
The ISO 9001 certification, which we have received every year since 2002, is the backbone of our process governance. This shows our commitment to quality. It has helped us structure our organisation, our systems for building and editing content and reviewing it, as well as our procedures and client communication.
In order to keep our ISO 9001 accreditation, it is necessary that we continuously improve on systems, staff training, organisational structures, and procedures in order for us to deliver successful outcomes for all of our clients.
Get in touch today for more information on ISO 9001 lead auditor training.