Whilst quality management system ISO 9001 is a set of International Standards recognized throughout the world, you could also describe it as a way of life or a mindset.
Quality management is one of those things that just makes sense – in fact, much of it is exactly that, common sense!
Practical, simple and very effective, it’s a way of delivering the very best products and services to the customer – and implementing it really isn’t rocket science!
Whilst so much of this is commonsense, nonetheless, there is a set of policies, processes, and procedures needed to make it all happen.
But this is a system that should be at the very heart of any organization. Whether you own a large company, a small business or you run a voluntary organization or charity, you have ‘customers’, and meeting their requirements should be your main goal.
Well-oiled machine
Standard Consulting in Brisbane sums it up perfectly when they describe ISO 9001 as a way of consolidating the many internal processes within an organization into one well-oiled machine.
It leads us away from considering a business to be many different components running alongside each other, seeing it instead as a total commitment to quality as a whole.
Standard Consulting’s Quality Management System training packages help organizations of any size understand and adopt this concept, leading to improved performance, fewer complaints, more happy customers and a better bottom line.
Crucially, it will also help organizations meet regulatory requirements and achieve ongoing improvement.
Government tenders
Quality Management System training helps businesses understand that their customers are not the only ones to consider. For example, a business chasing Government contracts and tenders is unlikely to make even the first cut without a QMS system in place.
In our competitive world, where a tender might attracts hundreds of bids, Government departments need some sort of benchmark against which they can measure the applicants.
Or perhaps you are an SMB wanting to join a major organization’s supply chain. Again, it is unlikely you will be considered with a recognized system in place. Remember, that major company has to meet its own regulatory requirements and keep its customers happy, so it is crucial they work with like-minded organizations.
In order to be effective, Quality Management System ISO 9001 must be embraced by everyone within an organization, from top to bottom. And decision-makers within the business need to consider it in the context of all future plans and policies.
It also demands that all policies and procedures be documented, and constantly reviewed and updated, in much the same way the Standards themselves are revised and updated.
Standard updates
In fact, there has recently been a review, with the current version of the Standard being Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015.
Three years in the making, this only goes to show how important and up-to-date these Standards are, formulated by professionals from throughout the world.
Well over a million ISO 9001 certifications have been issued – a reassuring sign that businesses are really starting to take on board the importance of quality, in their goods, services and internal operations.
ISO 9001 was revised to make it more in tune with how we do business these days – reflecting our global market better.
Quality Assurance vs Quality Control
As professionals such as Standard Consulting will tell you, it is far better to create a top-quality product in the first place – Quality Assurance – than to have to deal with returns and complaints later – Quality Control.
It’s a mistake to think that quality control is enough. As well as disappointing and potentially losing customers, producing faulty products that get returned is a complete waste of money for the organization. Better to get it the right first time, every time.
There are, however, a few misconceptions about ISO 9001:2015, and these will be properly explained during quality management system training.
For example, you’ll hear some people say that the Standard is only for big organizations, or that it is only applicable to certain industries. That is not the case.
Suitable for any business
International Standards can be applied to any size organization, in any industry, and be just as relevant.
The concept of quality products that are fit for purpose has nothing to do with the size of your business.
In fact, we are seeing an increasing number of SMEs implementing these systems, because they can see how it saves them time and money and helps them secure a larger chunk of the market.
Another myth is that it is only for manufacturing or retail businesses but again, this is untrue. Quality Management System ISO 9001 is used by hospitals, schools, churches, charities, police departments and more.
To put it simply, every group or organization or business needs structure – and structure needs policies and procedures.
Think about it – even families have structure, rules, processes, systems, and patterns. So it’s fairly obvious you need the same processes and systems in business – but much bigger.
To find out how your business would benefit, talk to Standard Consulting – experts in International Standards.
