The International Organization for Standardization is the largest international developer of voluntary International Standards. They offer best practices and solutions for nearly all types of technology and business. This helps companies and organizations increase their performance and protects the environment and consumers.
Their standards were developed through global consensus and aim to reduce trade barriers. The most well-known standards are ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001(environment) or ISO 27001 (information security management).
ISO 9001 is the most widely recognized Quality Management System (QMS), in the world.
It helps organisations better meet their customers’ needs and those of other stakeholders. This is done by creating a framework that ensures consistent quality in the provision and use of goods or services.
This standard is built on seven quality management principles. These include a strong customer focus and top management involvement, as well as a drive to continuous improvement.
These are the seven principles of quality management:
1 – Customer focus
2 – Leadership
3 – Engagement of People
4 – The Process Approach
5 – Improvement
6 – Evidence-based decision-making
7 – Relationship management
These principles are not arranged in order of priority. Each principle’s relative importance varies from one organization to another and can change over time.
Why ISO 9001 certification is important?
A ISO 9001 certificate is objective proof for your employees, your partners, clients, and the wider world that customer satisfaction is the heart of your business.
ISO 9001: Key Benefits
Increased revenue: Using the ISO 9001 reputation can help you win more contracts and tenders, while increasing efficiency will increase customer satisfaction and retention.
Improve your credibility: When organisations look for new suppliers it is common to need a QMS based upon ISO 9001, especially for those in public sectors.
Customer satisfaction is improved by understanding the needs of your customers and reducing errors. This will increase customer confidence in you ability to deliver products or services.
You can improve your operating efficiency by following industry best practices and focusing on quality.
Better decision-making – You can identify and detect problems quickly, which allows you to take swift steps to avoid making the same mistakes again.
Increase employee engagement by improving internal communication. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page. Employees will be happier and more productive if they are involved in the design of process improvements.
Improved process integration: By analyzing process interactions, efficiency can be improved, errors reduced, and cost savings made.
This is the third principle in ISO 9001. This means you adopt a systematic approach for identifying and exploiting potential opportunities to improve.
Improved supplier relationships: Using best-practice processes leads to more efficient supply chains. Certification will help you point these out to your suppliers.
Information about the ISO 9001 certification process and ISO 9001 lead auditor training
Planning, commitment and resources are required to become ISO 9001 certified. The QMS is a certification body that recommends a 3-step process.
Gap Analysis
Our offices were visited by a consultant to document and review our current processes. He also highlighted areas that didn’t meet the standards.
Implementation
All changes to existing processes or procedures will be made.
Certificate
Each year, an auditor visits our office to verify that all documented processes are being followed. Once satisfied, a new certificate will be issued.
How do you choose the certification body?
UKAS certified certification bodies will audit your organization and issue you ISO 9001 certification. This is especially important for UK organisations. The International Accreditation Forum can help you find similar international organizations.
Evaluate several certification bodies.
Verify that the certification body has been accredited and follows the applicable CASCO standard.
Although accreditation is not mandatory, it provides independent proof of competence.
Why is ISO 9001 so important
Our clients have enjoyed thousands of hours of elearning content, ranging from quick e-learning to customized learning experiences. Every module we create is accessible, engaging, and in line with the style guidelines of our clients. The quality of the product is only one aspect of the story. Process governance is the other half, and it’s very important.
Our ability to work effectively with clients to create a consistent, transparent and dependable development process that produces high-quality eLearning courses on time and within budget is called Process Governance.
Our ISO 9001 accreditation is the foundation of our process governance. We have been awarded this certification every year since 2002. This accreditation demonstrates our commitment and has influenced our organisational structure, systems of building, editing, reviewing content, and our client communication.
To maintain ISO 9001 accreditation, we must continuously improve our systems, staff training, organisational structure and procedures to achieve successful outcomes for clients.