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ISO 9001 QUALITY MANAGEMENT STANDARD

ISO 9001 QUALITY MANAGEMENT STANDARD

ISO 9001 Certification has benefited over 1 million Companies worldwide. It assisted them in achieving their aims and improving their business. Therefore, in helping them to manage and improve, ISO 9001 saved them from fire-fighting and enabled them to get on with developing the business.

The requirements of the ISO 9001 Standard are now tried and tested. As a result, the well established and structured guidance of the requirements has helped to improve operations, productivity and profitability. This Standard has also given a wide range of companies control over work processes. In addition, it has introduced  continuous improvement to thier management process. Consequently, this ISO Standard provides an evidence based decision-making process giving the management more control of the business direction.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is the Quality Management Standard. Over the last 100 years, there have been many initiatives aimed at systematic management. Unfortunately, they have generally suffered from being:

  • Internally driven by a few key personnel, who have limited access to Best Practice,
  • Often focussed on Manufacturing and leaving out service-oriented business.
  • Oriented to large volume activities which justify major investment to achieve improvements. Whereas, most organisations employ less than 20 persons.
  • Few agreed and documented methods covering all of the activities affecting Customer service.
  • Emphasis on operational improvements, with little consideration of Customer views or the Business Objectives.
  • Emphasis on Product quality, rather than the setting and meeting Customer expectations.
  • Lack of external Assessment as a reality check and incentive for maintaining and improving.

ISO 9001 addresses previous limitations

To achieve ISO 9001 Certification, organisations must show commitment to a focused and systematic approach to their business. That means a fact-based decision-making process. Actually, working with facts is an important aspect of understanding and controlling work processes. In fact, it is important for the business in general. As a result, to be successful, businesses must demonstrate both internally (to themselves) and to the external Assessor, that the business will comply fully with the requirements of ISO 9001.

Businesses must demonstrate…

Businesses must demonstrate they comply in specific ways. For example, they must show…

  • Be committed to and work within the established Quality Management Principles.
  • A clear focus on understanding and meeting Customer requirements.
  • Management commitment to Quality in all aspects of the business, including the Business Risks and Objectives.
  • That work processes and documentation reflect all applicable laws and regulations, as well as ensuring full compliance.
  • Involvement of trained, qualified and competent employees in all work processes.
  • A Process-based approach to the work and effective working systems to support that approach.
  • That facilities and resources provided throughout the organisation meet the needs of the documented work processes.
  • A properly documented Quality System to ensure that the company standards reflect a Quality approach. The employees will therefore have a clear work scheme against which to work effectively and records to prove the work processes are appropriate and effective.
  • Mutually beneficial Supplier relationships promote clear management of supplies and services.
  • Where problems arise, employees can quickly identify, investigate and correct them.
  • That corrected problems reduce the chance of reoccurrence.
  • Management must ensure monitoring of all aspects of the business meets the ISO 9001 Standard and leads to improved processes, with records providing proof of the improvements.
  • External independent UKAS accredited Assessment provides an external reality check on the improvements in the business.
  • On-going Surveillance visits occur, at least yearly, by external assessors.

Businesses need to be flexible too…

Additionally, any ISO 9001 Quality System needs to be flexible. The System must enable the business to successfully respond to modern volatile and competitive business environments. For instance, your hosted Per4ma Business Model enables immediate online editing. This will ensure that everyone is working from the latest Documents and Forms. That requirement applies whether for your employees or for staff externally attached to the Company.

Benefits of ISO 9001

  1. Competitive:

    ISO 9001 gives an externally checked confidence that your business is using a documented system to fulfil Customer requirements as well as being committed to improve. It also provides assurance to Customers that they can depend on consistent Quality of Service.

  2. Operational:

    ISO 9001 provides a systematic and integrated approach to business management. This logical approach leads to a clear structure of operating processes. Coupled with fact-based decision making you can find problems and overcome them to improve your processes. Unquestionably, an emphasis on continual improvement of working systems will lead you naturally to reduce errors, duplication, complaints and problems. This consequently leads to reduced costs and more efficient use of resources.

  3. Resilient:

    Today we operate in a volatile business environment. Consequently, business need to be more resilient than ever. ISO 9001 requires Companies to assess the Risks to their Business and instigate suitable controls and actions to manage those risks. And, customers love risk controls!

  4. Customer orientation:

    That the customer is assured that their requirements are met in an orderly and consistent way. Such assurance positively impacts customer relations. Appropriate records and communication with customers will lead to better business outcomes for the customer and the business itself.

Evidence…

Evidence shows that ISO 9001 implementation costs are actually an investment. Cost advantages and other improvements gained through better methods lead to improved productivity, reduction of waste and better management control. Consequently, achieving successful Assessment and Certification also assists in retaining existing Customers, and in gaining new ones.

Why You Need it

Most organisations face an increasingly demanding business environment. Greater legal restraints and regulation also impact the organisation. Competitors have a greater reach too. Local and home-country business has now transformed into regional or global markets. Additionally, organisations are under pressure to operate with reduced human resources and tighter fiscal margins. More than 20 years of the trend to flatten organisations has resulted in key Managers being responsible for a wider scope of activities. Often these same managers have had little or no formal training. However, your business can still improve and move forward despite these difficulties.

there is good news…

There are great opportunities created by this Quality Management Standard. ISO 9001 provides for organisations which are prepared to work smarter. Supporting clear management through evidence based decision-making, continuously improving work processes and better customer relations all add up to a brighter business future. Consequently, certification offers business growth and a more resilient business.

Charter 4 can help your business improve

Your business or organisation can see great benefit from implementing ISO 9001. CHARTER 4 focus on a principle that we have seen confer those benefits. That principle is that you can, “Improve your business, rather than just comply with the Standard”. We work with you on your with ISO 9001  project to ensure your business improves as well as comply to your chosen standard. This unique principle has seen our clients benefit from the business pay-back of investing in Quality Management.

Would you like to know more about how we can help you to improve your business and get your ISO 9001 certification? You can find out more. Simply click one of the buttons below.

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Certification with Charter 4 – the Business Benefits
  • Improve, rather than just comply.
  • Full service and ongoing support to compliment your resources.
  • Build on your Processes & Systems (no standard templates).
  • Help defining your Best Practice.
  • Certification by independent UKAS accredited Assessors.
  • 100% Success & guaranteed support until Certification.
  • Help to get Government Grant (when available).
  • Flexible support to complement your resources.
The volatile, complex and competitive business environment put our business under pressure. It was difficult to see where we were going. Now, with ISO 9001, we have solid evidence to support our management and business development. Our customers love our continuous improvement and organised approach. And, we find it easier to judge the market. A win-win situation.