The ISO 9001 Standard: Essentials for Small Businesses

July 10, 2017

3 min read

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How can ISO 9001 certification help your small business?

It’s a good question and one that every small business owner should consider. As Australian companies have greater access to global markets and face more competition locally, smaller businesses can give themselves an edge with ISO 9001 certification.

In this article, we cover ISO 9001 essentials for small businesses. You’ll learn about the basics of quality management systems, the many benefits of compliance and what you can do to start the certification process.

The ISO 9001 Standard: The Basics

Internationally recognised as the standard for quality management, certification to ISO 9001 has been reached by over a million organisations spanning many different industries, all around the world. Why have all of these companies allocated the time and resources to invest in certification?

The ISO 9001 standard outlines the policies and processes that help organisations establish internal rules for how they create and deliver products and services. By following these internal policies, businesses can reduce costs, drive efficiency and lay the foundation for sustained growth well into the future.

The Benefits of ISO 9001 Compliance

Improving efficiency and reducing costs should be an enduring goal for all businesses. Compliance with ISO 9001 helps you to achieve this goal. As you go through the compliance certification process, you’ll undoubtedly find areas in which your current operations are redundant or lacking. By filling in the gaps, your organisation will run smoother and more effectively, giving you an edge on your competition.

Additionally, ISO 9001 provides your business with independent, external feedback on your management processes. The third-party certifying organisation will help you to see your business in a new light. Business owners are often too close to their day-to-day operations to see where improvements can be made. The compliance certification process provides valuable feedback to help you improve.

The Pros of ISO 9001 Certification

Once your business is compliant with ISO 9001, you’ll receive formal recognition in the form of certification. This recognition is important to stakeholders and customers alike. You will be able to display your certification on your website and other promotional materials, so your customers and investors will have confidence in your management processes.

Customers feel more comfortable working with companies that have achieved compliance certification. In fact, in some industries (like construction), businesses cannot submit tenders for some government projects without ISO 9001 certification.

Therefore, certified organisations enjoy a competitive advantage over companies that haven’t yet achieved compliance.

Compliance Services Australia

For smaller businesses, implementing a management system can seem daunting. However, with our unique 8-week process, we guide you through to certification in an understandable and supportive way. We start by helping you to identify your gaps against the standard, proceed with a consultation workshop to get to know your organisation, create and implement systems documents and support you through a third-party certification audit.

As you can see, the process is well-planned and achievable. Within eight short weeks, your organisation can start enjoying the many benefits that accompany ISO 9001 certification.

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

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