The global business landscape demands businesses remain competitive by continually improving their products, services and businesses processes. This business landscape, aside from being very competitive, is volatile. Customer needs and expectations keep changing, and organizations must adapt to survive and to continue to thrive.

The question is, how can organizations ensure they keep up and adhere to various requirements?

A proper framework for quality management, such as ISO 9001 certification, is necessary to guide businesses on the actions they need to take to address these changes, thereby improving their customer satisfaction and overall efficiency.

Read on to learn more about what ISO 9001 certification is, what's required to get ISO 9001 certified, and the benefits of doing so.

What is ISO 9001 Certification?

ISO 9001 certification is a globally recognized system for quality management standards. It's the most applied quality management standard used across the globe. To consistently satisfy stakeholders and customers, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides a common approach to your organization's management.

In short, ISO 9001 certification provides the bedrock that facilitates effective processes and personnel to deliver the best services consistently. With ISO 9001, potential customers are assured that your company puts in hard work and long hours to make sure that all products or services are the best they can be. ISO certification services have standards that follow a typical formation. ISO 9001 2015 certification works better with most management systems and is therefore more efficient and effective.

ISO 9001 Certification Requirements

ISO has a set of requirements (principles) every company must adhere to in order to get certified. Below are the eight principles to follow to get ISO 9001 certified:

1. Leadership

According to ISO, a good leader should establish unity and direction effectively in a business environment. The leader's goal is to motivate and direct their workers toward completing a particular task. To that end, good leadership will help reduce miscommunication among different departments. A good leader should also evenly distribute roles and tasks to their workers according to their strengths.

2. Customer Care

In every business, the customer is the primary focus. For a business to correctly target demographics and deliver products and services customers want, ISO 9001 certification requires that they understand and respond to their customers' needs first. Resource allocation is more effective when you understand the needs of the customer. It portrays your dedication to your customers, increasing customer loyalty, which in turn aids in return business.

3. Supplier Relationship

It's vital to create a mutually beneficial supplier relationship. A good relationship between the supplier and company enhances value for both parties. As 9001 certification standards state, if a supplier recognizes a mutually beneficial relationship, they'll quickly react and respond to the ever-changing customer needs and market changes. When the relationship between a business and the supplier is smooth and effective through interaction and close contact, resource and cost optimization will be easier for both parties.

4. Improvement

Improvement refers to the requirements necessary to ensure a quality management system over time. Continuous improvement is essential and is a permanent objective for every business. Improvement performance helps a company increase profits and gain an edge over competitors. ISO quality certification maintains that a company's dedication to continual improvement will enable faster and more efficient development.

5. Quality Management

To achieve the best results possible, it's important to have all activities and resources managed together. Quality management will help reduce costs through the effective use of resources, time, and personnel. If a task is handled as a whole, it enables management to focus on important goals that cover the bigger picture. It will also help in prioritizing objectives to maximize effectiveness.

6. System Management

Although most companies avoid combining management groups for fear of causing conflict among different members, it can be an effective quality management method. If done correctly, combining management groups can lead to a more efficient and effective management system. When an organization's leaders are dedicated to specific objectives, they will help one another attain improved productivity. The goals of ISO 9001 are that an effective management system will increase the company's effectiveness, consistency and efficiency, which in turn will increase the confidence of both suppliers and customers.

7. Teamwork

For a company to thrive, it's essential to include everyone involved as part of the team. Involving everyone promotes a sense of personal investment which motivates workers and causes them to be more dedicated. It also encourages workers to be more innovative and creative and pushes them to use their full abilities in completing tasks. When people are genuinely interested in performance, they willingly participate in the business's continual improvement that ISO 9001 certified facilitates.

8. Planning and Decision Making

Management should also plan for the ongoing function of a quality management system. It should assess the risks and opportunities of the current quality management system, identify the quality objectives for improvement and plan how to achieve these objectives. Company decisions should be based on the analysis and interpretation of data, not random facts. If an organization makes decisions based on facts, they're more likely to succeed. Making a habit of factual decision-making will increase the effectiveness of previous decisions, which increases the confidence in current and future decisions.

Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification

Below are the benefits of ISO 9001:2015 certification:

• With certification such as 9001 certification, you get global recognition.
•  It provides a solid foundation for your business, enabling your company to withstand and adapt effectively to changes in the market.
•  ISO 9001:2015 certification helps increase customer satisfaction by allowing you to regularly meet their needs as well as regulatory requirements related to services and products.
• It helps you improve your company's performance by establishing a framework, avoiding nonconformities by implementing systematic processes.
• ISO 9001:2015 certification fosters innovation and delivers enhanced value for stakeholders through the self-governance components.
• It helps picture quality management from a better perspective because of the emphasis on organizational context.

Get the Best ISO 9001 Certification Services

Now you understand more about ISO quality certification, including what it is, what it takes to obtain the certification and why it is beneficial. For the best quality certification in ISO 9001, Smithers has your back. Smithers offers the best auditing to get you ISO 9001:2015 certified to help improve your organization's performance through increased process efficiency and output. Request a quote for ISO 9001 certification services today and begin your journey.

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