Have you heard of ISO 9001, but don’t know what it is? We point out that it is a reference standard used worldwide by over 1 million companies. In this post, we will explain what it is and its main advantages.
“ISO International Standards ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. For businesses, they are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors and increasing productivity. They help companies access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries, and facilitate free and fair global trade.” in ISO.org
Definition
ISO 9001 is a group of technical standards that aim to standardize a company’s organizational procedures. In other words, it is a management system that improves the functioning of a given organization, whether large or small.
International Organization for Standardization or International Organization for Standardization is what the acronym ISO refers to. The International Organization for Standardization is a non-governmental organization based in Switzerland, which produces business standards to be applied throughout the world. In this way, they promote the standardization and integration of not only national but, above all, international trade.
Principles
In order to monitor and optimize a given business, the quality management system defined in this standard is based on 8 essential principles. These are applicable to any organization:
Continuous Optimization;
Focus on Customer Satisfaction
Loyalty and Attracting New Customers;
Reciprocal Relationship between Employees and Suppliers;
Facts for Decision Making;
Solid Team as the Company’s Main Resource;
Management Prepared as a System;
Healthy Leadership;
How to certify the company?
As the last phase of the implementation process of the ISO 9001 set of standards, certification requires approval from an external certifying entity.
The company needs to put into practice all the fundamental procedures of the standard. By applying and documenting the processes, verifying the adequacy and carrying out an internal audit, the process is practically finished.
In a final phase, the responsible auditor checks whether all the company’s procedures and products and services are in compliance. If everything is in accordance with the normative regulations, the auditor will recommend the company’s certification.
This audit is in person and results in the issuance (or not, if the company fails) of the recommendation for certification. On average, the certificate takes 40 days to be issued and delivered to the participating organization.
Benefits
Once ISO 9001 is implemented, it is possible to guarantee the Quality Management System certificate. A certified organization will necessarily guarantee quality, not only in the company structure, as in the team, in leadership but also in the product, service and relationship with the customer. This is because the main advantages are:
Competitiveness;
Organization;
Productivity;
Cost Reduction;
Labor knowledge;
Revision of ISO 9001?As a rule, all ISO standards are reviewed every 5 years. It is essential to do so in order to keep companies updated and relevant in the job market.
“We continue to strengthen the commitment we have with our Partners/Clients, regularly investing in systems/certifications that make it possible to add value to the service provided, always with the focus on meeting the needs of our clients” says Rui Vicente, CEO of Sports Partner.
