ISO 9001 Certification – What Is It And Why Does A Company Need It?

We live in a highly competitive world. Today more and more companies are striving to set themselves apart through the quality of the products and services that they are offering an increasingly demanding consumer and corporate customer base. However, there is one certification that will provide customers of all types with the reassurance that they are dealing with a professional organization that takes its commitment to quality seriously – and that is the ISO 9001 Certification (which is developed and maintained by the ‘International Organization for Standardization’).

What is this exactly? In a nutshell, the ISO 9001 Certification, which was most recently updated in 2015, sets a standard, recognized internationally for rolling out and maintaining world-class Quality Management Systems (QMS). These standards are used by an organization as a template and guideline when formulating policies, optimizing processes and procedures that dovetail with the highest level of customer needs and adhere to regulatory requirements. The result is increased levels of customer satisfaction, superior products and services that conform to recognized global best practices and a blueprint for continuous improvement. In short, ISO 9001 Certification is the bedrock of all quality assurance activities within the company setting.

Organizational size, industry sector are not limiting factors when it comes to achieving certification. In fact, ISO 9001 has become the template for industries that wish to develop their own QMS standards. Sectors such as aerospace (AS9100) and the automotive industry (AITF 16949) have found the guidelines and principles governing ISO 9001 Certification invaluable when it comes to developing sector-specific Quality Management Systems.

Today the ISO is active in developing, maintaining and publishing well over 22,000 standards for Organization members from across the globe. These standards cover operational aspects such as design of products, testing and the optimization of management systems, helping companies enjoy enormous cost savings, generate additional revenue, improve their image and credibility and enjoy the benefits of truly integrated processes.

An investment in ISO 9001 is one that pays short, medium and long term dividends in a variety of ways. For those organizations that are truly committed to excellence, it is an investment that is nothing less than a strategic imperative.