ISO 9001:2015 is the latest revision of the ISO 9001 international standard that specifics requirements for a quality management system (QMS). A QMS is a system for Managing the Quality of a product or process as well as a system for documenting the structure, procedures, responsibilities and processes needed for effective quality management.

The QMS defines how an organization will produce, document, control and deliver a product or service with customer requirements as the focus.
To become certified to ISO 9001 organizations must demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer, statutory and regulatory requirements. Certification is granted by accredited certification bodies that will audit an organization at planned intervals to confirm conformance to the ISO 9001 standard.

The standard can be applied to any organization. Its benefits include enhanced customer satisfaction, standardized processes, improved quality of products and services, and a culture of continuous improvement.

Advantages of ISO 9001 Certification

  1. Meet customer demands
    ISO 9001 places the focus on understanding and meeting customer demands. Accordingly, detailed attention is paid to ensuring the consistent provision of the quality of the products and services supplied by your company. Happy customers are more likely to be repeat customers.
  2. Attract new business
    In a crowded marketplace the ISO 9001 certification will allow a company to stand out from the crowd. It may also enable your company to enter markets which were previously inaccessible.
  3. Strengthen quality
    At its most fundamental ISO 9001 is a Quality Management System (QMS). So, when adopting a QMS, you can expect to see an increase in quality in every product and process across the entire organisation. This includes safety management, training, production and service delivery.
  4. Describe, understand, and communicate your company processes
    Attaining ISO 9001 certification requires that you identify and analyse your business processes, with the purpose of optimising these processes – which can only be achieved through effective quality management. Safe to say, conforming to ISO 9001 requirements will help you to learn more about how your business functions.
  5. Create a professional business culture
    ISO 9001 can motivate and empower employees. A robust quality management system provides employees with everything they need to perform well: clear expectations (i.e. what their job consists and doesn’t consist of), the tools they need to perform the tasks expected of them, and quick, actionable feedback on their performance. Having a robust quality management system in place will also help considerably in establishing a positive safety culture.

For more information about how ISO 9001 could strengthen your organisation contact C&G International Inc.