ISO 9001 is a worldwide quality standard administered by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It offers a structured, systematic approach to process and product quality management, with emphasis on customer satisfaction. It is a common sense, documented management system, applicable to all business sectors which ensures consistency and promotes continuous process and product improvement. Those who are already accredited with ISO 9001:2008, need to make the transition to the ISO 9001:2015 before the September 2018 deadline. For more info see our "What exactly is ISO 9001?" blog post. If you're already certified against the 2008 revision and you want to know what has changed in the new 2015 revision see our 2008 V 2015 comparison here.

Quality as a competitive advantage

ISO certification highlights to your prospective and existing customers that your business has the resources, facilities, capability and management system necessary to consistently deliver on the quality your customers expect.  The standard is used for certification and contractual purposes by companies seeking recognition of their business management system and to gain a competitive edge.

Remove trade barriers and enable opportunities

As more and more emphasis shifts towards quality, many of your potential customers will require ISO 9001 certification from their vendors as a prerequisite. This is particularly the case if you are competing for public sector jobs in many countries. Without ISO certification you simply can not meet their minimum requirements. Therefore, being certified can remove barriers to trade and enable opportunities for your business to grow by meeting customer requirements.

Improve Corporate Image

Compliant companies benefit from improved brand perception and corporate image through the prestige associated with ISO accreditation. Having the ISO 9001 certification is certainly a powerful marketing tool.

Where to Start?

Gaining ISO 9001 accreditation can be an ambiguous, confusing process. The path to certification lacks clear start and end points and it is easy for companies to lose direction in between. Companies who decide to tackle this process alone often falter before they reach the finish line.

Mountains of paper based documents

Without a QMS in place, companies often succumb to the sheer amount of paperwork that ISO:9001 demands.

Take a glance at the link below to get an idea just how much mandatory documents and records are required to be compliant with ISO 9001:2015.

Mandatory ISO: 9001 Documents

Efficiency and productivity is sacrificed

Without a QMS, employees spend valuable time performing and repeating everyday tasks that a QMS should automate. Employees waste time digging through folders for files that they hope have been created by others. When they can't find the file they create a new one, therefore duplicating the workload. This happens over and over again until your folders are flooded with inconsistent variations of files that are being used company wide. You need a system that ensures that one version of each document is stored and available in one easily accessed place.

Resistance to change

A company’s lack of commitment to a dedicated quality management system can hinder the company’s ability to establish a quality oriented culture, leading to resistance to change and slow adoption amongst employees. Morale and job satisfaction decreases as employees perform repetitive, monotonous tasks that should be automated via QMS.

We have developed a web based, paperless solution that helps companies comply with ISO 9001 standards. Our QMS platform enables clients to manage the following:

• Quality manuals
• Standard procedures
• Corrective and preventative actions
• Control practices
• Internal audits
• Customer interactions

Editable Forms and Templates

Create and edit documentation in seconds online using our forms and templates. Editable forms include; interview questions, customer satisfaction surveys and CAPA reports. Editable templates include; employment contract, contractor agreement and expenses templates. Permitted users can also create their own company specific forms and templates to be edited by others.

Document Management

All documentation, from interview questions to Standard Order Procedures, are stored on one easily accessed platform. No more digging through files. No more lost documents. No more duplication of work.

Records for Auditing

Our platform is equipped with a space for storing company records from activities such as interviews and employee evaluations to business processes such as CAPAs. This not only makes it easier for you to monitor business activities, it also ensures a stress free audit audit.