ISO 9001 is an international standard that provides guidelines to maintain a high quality management system. Organizations undergo this certification to operate their business as per international standards and deliver top quality products and services. Those who qualify the certification enjoy a number of other benefits too. ISO consultants in Bangalore as well as other parts of the country can help you qualify the same.
In this article, we shall learn what ISO 9001 certification is all about as well as its various benefits. We shall also provide information about who can apply for this certification and how you can increase your odds of qualifying the same. So, let’s get started.
A Brief about ISO 9001 Certification
The International Organization for Standardization came up with ISO 9001 certification back in the year 1987. The latest version of this certification came out in September 2015. Following its guidelines help organizations make optimal use of their resources, reduce wastage, and work as per international standards to deliver complete customer satisfaction.
Businesses are closely scrutinized before awarding ISO 9001 quality management system certification. They are assessed on several parameters. One must comply with all of them in order to attain the certification.
Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification
Let us take a closer look at the benefits of ISO 9001 certification for your organization to give you a better understanding of why you should go for it:
Defines Clear Objectives
To begin with, it aims to assess the scope of your business. This is to say it helps identify which all customer segments your business impacts and to what extent. Next, it helps understand expectations of different customer segments from your business. This is crucial for defining clear objectives, recognizing new business opportunities and making the most of them.
Streamlines and Improves Processes
The main aim of ISO 9001 certification is to streamline the processes and help each department and employee in the organization understand his role and responsibilities clearly so that they can work efficiently and deliver their best. It constantly improves the processes thereby helping businesses generate greater revenue.
Ensures Optimal Use of Resources
ISO aims at reducing wastage of resources and ensuring their optimal use. By adopting the ISO guidelines, companies can put their available resources to best use and make the most from them. This helps save a lot of cost.
Boosts Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is the prime focus of ISO 9001 standard. It emphasizes on understanding the customer’s needs and constantly works towards meeting the same. Retaining existing customers and acquiring new ones becomes easy with the adoption of ISO practices.
Establishes Credibility
When you focus on delivering the best possible products and services to satisfy the customers you are bound to establish goodwill in the market. This keeps the existing customers happy and attracts new customers. Thus, in turn increases business revenue.
Facilitates Business Expansion
There are certain sectors as well as businesses that work and collaborate only with those organizations that have ISO 9001 certification. This implies that undergoing his certification increases the scope of expansion. Besides, your organization will meet global standards with this certification. Thus, you shall be able to establish a global reach.
Statutory and Regulatory Requirements
Your business meets the necessary statutory and regulatory requirements by incorporating ISO 9001.
Helps Identify and Address Risks
The certification helps businesses recognize, analyze and address the risks factors associated with your business. This is a good way to reduce the risk factor.
Identifies Loopholes
It also helps identify the loopholes in the business and work upon bringing about essential changes to boost profitability.
Employee Satisfaction
ISO 9001 does not only focus on customer satisfaction but also helps create an environment that gives way to happy employees. It clearly states the roles and responsibilities of employees which help them plan their work efficiently and perform better. This goes a long way in strengthening the business.
Increases Productivity Level
Regular audits motivate the management as well as employees to maintain focus and work diligently. They are also given timely feedback to improve their processes and way of working. This helps maintain focus and meet the set deadlines.
Measurable Goals
It is important to monitor the processes closely and measure employee performance regularly. This helps in understanding the issues that require attention. ISO helps set measurable goals to assess performance and make improvisations from time to time.
Who Can Apply for QMS Certification?
Quality Management System is an integral part of ISO 9001 standard. It includes guidelines for standard operating procedures. It includes policies, processes as well procedures that guide you to deliver high standards of products and services. These procedures help gauge the quality standards of different aspects of a business. ISO 9001 standard provides guidelines to help you draft and implement effective QMS that fits your business requirement. Now, the question is who can apply for QMS certification? Here are a few factors that an organization must work on in order to apply for this certification and qualify in the same:
- You can apply for QMS only if you follow the guidelines set by the ISO 9001 standard.
- Your company’s documentation and paperwork must be intact. Thus, you must complete all the paperwork before applying for the certification.
- It is imperative to meet the statutory and regulatory requirements.
How to Get Through ISO 9001 Certification?
Contrary to the popular belief, it is not that hard to get through ISO 9001 certification. By incorporating their guidelines diligently, you should be able to clear the certification. Here is a step by step guide to help you get through:
Appropriate Allocation of Resources
Proper allocation of resources is crucial for getting ISO 9001 certification. The top management should take this step on priority if it is planning to go for the certification.
Gap Analysis
You may have your own policies and procedures on the basis of which you carry out various processes in your organization. It is important to match them with those set by ISO. Conducting an extensive gap analysis helps you assess where you lack. Once you are clear with this you shall be able to prepare better.
Conduct Audits
As a part of the preparation process, it is important to conduct internal audits. These audits will help you identify the loopholes at different levels. You can then work upon making specific changes to meet the ISO standard. Such audits will instil confidence in your employees and they shall be able to undergo the audits in a better way.
Undergo an ISO 9001 Course
It is a good idea to undergo a formal ISO training course that trains you to handle the ISO audit efficiently and get through it to acquire the certification. Such courses help you learn the various procedures and guidelines that come handy during the audits.
Select Your Auditor
You require choosing an accredited auditor to get your company’s ISO certification done. As you begin your search, you shall come across a number of accredited certification bodies that provide certifications. The key is to look for one that has a good will in the market and matches your resources. This auditor will assess all your processes and identify if there is any further gap that may cause a hindrance in acquiring certification. You may then work upon filling the gap to qualify the certification.
Get the Certification
You will receive ISO 9001 certification in Bangalore once your auditor affirms that your quality management system is a per the ISO 9001 standard. The certification is valid for three years. In order to renew it, you will have to maintain the ISO standard.
Seek Professional Guidance
It is best to seek professional guidance to qualify ISO certification. Experienced ISO consultants in Bangalore have complete knowledge about the ISO procedures and policies. They help organizations attain the quality management system certification by guiding them at every step of the process. They begin by identifying the problem areas and gaps in your company processes by comparing them with the ISO 9001 guidelines. Thereafter, they guide you to make necessary changes to qualify the certification.
Many business owners try to understand the steps involved in applying and getting through the certification but fail due to lack of proper knowledge about the same. Hiring a professional can increase your odds of cracking the certification as they have thorough knowledge about the nitty-gritty’s of the certification.
This shows how ISO 9001 certification can help your business grow and reach newer heights. The quality management certification improves the policies and procedures of your company, helps make optimal use of the available resources, establishes credibility, promotes customer satisfaction, boosts employee focus and productivity, reduces wastage, creates a global reach and ultimately increases profitability. If your company hasn’t undergone this certification yet then it is time to go for it to ensure a better work environment and increase the scope of your business. There are quite a few ISO consultants in Bangalore that can help you with this task. We suggest hiring an experienced and proficient consultant to increase the chances of getting through the certification.
