How Important is ISO 9001 Certification?

July 4, 2017

3 min read

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Running a business means evaluating priorities and deciding on the best use of your limited time and resources. Unfortunately for many organisations, “free” time doesn’t appear regularly, which is why things like compliance certification can be put off to a later date.

One of the questions we often hear is, “how important is ISO 9001 certification?” While it may not seem like a pressing issue when you’ve got a full pipeline of work to complete, certification to the ISO 9001 standard is important for several reasons. Putting it off to a later date could even cost your business dearly down the road.

What is the ISO 9001 Standard?

ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems. Even though there are thousands of ISO standards, many people have only heard of ISO 9001. It’s the most popular management system standard in the world, with over one million businesses achieving certification to date.

The ISO 9001 standard outlines best practices for quality management, including manufacturing processes, employee management and operations procedures. Its primary purpose is to define the rules that govern how a company creates and delivers products and services.

Why is ISO 9001 Important?

Compliance with ISO 9001 lays the foundation for continual business improvement. The standard applies to just about every business, of any size and in any industry. Certification to ISO 9001 can improve efficiency, reduce cost, formally recognise your management processes, establish customer confidence and create a marketing opportunity for your business. Let’s look at some of the benefits of ISO 9001 in more detail.

Compete in Your Industry

ISO 9001 certification provides an opportunity for organisations to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. However, a compliant quality management system isn’t only a cosmetic appeal - it reduces inefficiencies, lowers costs and drives sustainable profitability.

Inspire Confidence Immediately

When you bid on a project or propose to work with another business, you need to establish trust as quickly as possible. Without compliance to ISO 9001 certification, you have to think of a way to earn that trust. You might allow for an audit or inspection, but this is time-consuming and onerous, and they may not have the resources to do so.

When certified to ISO 9001, stakeholders immediately know a great deal about how your business works. Compliance certification remains one of the best ways to instill customer confidence in your business.

Use ISO 9001 Certification in Your Marketing

ISO 9001 certification can be an effective marketing tool. You can display a certification badge on your website, your print marketing materials, and your social media sites. A visual representation of your commitment to quality can set you apart from the crowd and allow your business to stay top of mind.

Submit More Tenders

Certification to ISO 9001 is often a specification to tender for government contracts. Simply put, without certification, you’ll limit your scope of work.

Invest in compliance to open your business up to more opportunities in the future. With ISO 9001 certification, you’ll be eligible to tender for lucrative jobs that may have been unavailable to you in the past.

ISO 9001 Certification

As you can see, gaining ISO 9001 certification can transform your business for the better. By reaching compliance, you can more effectively compete in your industry, inspire customer confidence, improve your marketing and submit more tenders.

For more information on how certification to ISO 9001 can help grow your business, download the free information pack below:

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