ISO 9001 Certification: Its consequences in the continuous improvement of processes

When we talk about ISO 9001 standards, we mean those developed by the International Organization for Standardization and which establish the requirements for a quality management system that can be used internally inside companies, no matter if the product or service is provided by a public or private organization nor the sector it belongs to for its certification or contractual aims. 

The International Organization for Standardization is an independent non-governmental organization that gathers over a million companies and organizations in more than 170 countries around the globe. It was created in England after World War II from a gathering of representatives of 25 countries to organize and unify world standards. 

For a company, the importance of becoming ISO 9001 certified lies in the need it has to meet profitability, quality, and technology demands that contribute to sustainable development. 

In this regard, ISO 9001 standards are a management model that allows companies to improve companies' performance and efficiency from planning, control and improving their processes and based on meeting the requirements of the product/service, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. 

However, we should emphasize that ISO 9001 standards don't only certify companies at large but also can certify different processes that require this audit to improve their results and increase productivity. 

As regards the processes or steps you can follow to become ISO 9001 certified, the following ones can help you achieve continuous improvement in your company or internal processes. 

1 - Diagnosis and planning:

The first step consists in making a diagnosis to know if the organization or company meets the ISO 9001 requirements and, from there, make a work plan describing the activities you'll be carrying out during the project, their deadlines, budgets and the people in charge of them. 

2 - Design of the QMS:

In this stage, the key elements of the Quality Management System (QMS) are defined and the supporting documents of the System are established. 

3 - Implementing the QMS:

As the QMS is designed, methodologies are implemented in all processes and functioning areas within the defined scope. 

4 - Internal audit:

After having implemented QMS in the organization, the internal audit of all the QMS will be carried out to determine if it meets ISO 9001 requirements and if it's applied during the whole process involved. 

5 - Certification:

Once you were able to check that the QMS meets all the ISO 9001 requirements and it's functioning in the organization, the company gets in touch with a certification body to begin the certification process per se. 

After getting the ISO 9001 certification, it's important to keep it to avoid having to start all over again, wasting time due to negligence. This certification can be also used to be publicly known since it certifies the quality of your products or services. 

Advantages of ISO 9001 certification

Even though becoming ISO 9001 certified can be a long process, and even a complicated one, the advantages that have certified companies are worth it. Many organizations don't realize that they need ISO 9001 certification to succeed. The following are the main reasons why you should become ISO 9001 certified: 

• Improve customer satisfaction: with higher-quality systems and processes, you'll surpass your customers' expectations (both internal and external) who will get a better service. 
• Increase income: having your processes ISO 9001 certified is a guarantee that enables your customers to trust in the quality of your products and services. 
• Improve the processes in different areas: by improving your processes, you'll overcome the typical problems of the different areas, such as silos, information leaks, and lack of productivity. 
• Increase the quality of your products or services: becoming ISO 9001 certified will help your company to stay focused on providing the best quality for your employees and customers. To do this, it's necessary you carry out different types of audits, such as internal audits, record audits, etc. to monitor their progress and make sure they are going in the right direction. Routine audits, such as quarterly audits, will provide the feedback you need to make sure the company is meeting the quality standards and is aligned with its goals and mission. 
• Save costs and time: as your company's operations and processes start to improve in time, you'll be able to reach goals easier, more quickly, and constantly. If you persevere, it won't be long until you see tangible results.  
• Optimize operations and favor the understanding of your processes: identify, communicate and control your processes and systems in terms of commercial metrics or information. 

In other words, becoming ISO 9001 certified is not only an effective way to take your company higher by achieving its goals but also to add knowledge and value to the most complex tasks of departmental processes so they increase productivity and end up leading your company to success.