What are the Benefits of ISO 9001?

The benefits of ISO 9001 are as broad as they’re long to your business. After all, it’s one of the most globally recognised, highly respected and sought-after standards. This speaks volumes, not only about the kudos of certification, but also about the genuine advantageousness it entails.

Yet, if you’re preparing for your audit right now, it’s perfectly understandable if thoughts like, “Why are we putting ourselves through this?” and “This had better be worth it”, are going through your head.

There’s no getting away from it that the ISO 9001 certification process can be negatively perceived by naysayers as –

• Being complex process
• Demanding a lot of effort and time
• Involving reams of red tape
• Having a price tag that’s only affordable for larger businesses
• Lacking immediate or short-term gain

It would be misleading to suggest that the process is child’s play. But, let’s be honest, why would it be? ISO 9001 wouldn’t be such a desirable accolade if it was handed out for the asking like hot cakes. 

So, buckle up. Take strength from the benefits of ISO 9001 that drew you to it in the first place. Need any reminders?

Why is ISO 9001 So Powerful?

The seven universal management principles of ISO 9001 make it a compelling proposition:

• Dedication to continuous improvement
• Detailed systems-driven approach
• Client/Customer-focus
• Effective leadership
• Top to bottom involvement of all levels of management and staff
• Risk management
• Supplier management

It’s not a light undertaking. And it can feel like a daunting and demanding process when you’re in the grips of it. But the British Assessment Bureau reminds us that, “Achieving the ISO 9001 standard is not about establishing a set of procedures that are complicated and difficult to manage”. That’s reassuring.

“With the right support and the knowledge of your employees, you will end up with a system that will improve all areas of your organisation”, it continues.

ISO 9001 helps you achieve platinum standard through a set of audits that identify any issues. Then, once you know what you’re dealing with, you’re required to take relevant action to remove any obstacles and mitigate any risks.

This process of recognition and rectification empowers you to –

• Optimise profits
• Engage your employees
• Exceed client expectations

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the key benefits of ISO 9001.

ISO 9001 Evolves Best Practice

Going through the ISO 9001 certification process lays the most solid foundations for building best practices upon.

This standard isn’t achieved by leaving anything to chance or guesswork. It involves custom designing and documenting your operational procedures for all employees to use.

But it extends beyond improving the day-to-day modus operandi. Importantly, it also equips you with unprecedented insights. These insights enable you analyse and evolve best practices, bending and flexing them to facilitate new methodologies and technologies that are introduced over time. 

ISO 9001 Enhances Client Relationships

Being ISO 9001 certified gives you substantial competitive edge, by demonstrating to your clients that you’re committed to:

• Taking the safety and security of your staff, contractors and suppliers seriously
• Providing leading-edge training to your employees
• Using correct, safe and upkept equipment
• Monitoring satisfaction and managing customer service and complaint handling
• Upholding internationally recognised standards of quality control, internally, and also amongst your contractors and suppliers

In short, when they’re dealing with you, your clients know they’re dealing with the best of the best. And it’s not just you saying so. ISO 9001 is independently assessed on a regular basis.

In addition, you’re better equipped to deal quickly and efficiently if anything goes wrong. How does ISO 9001 help you do this? Because your systems can swiftly and easily identify any problem areas within your business procedures.

ISO 9001 Intensifies Team Buy-In

When everything you do is driven by quality, your employees follow suit. They, too, start to incorporate quality throughout their daily duties, working as part of a team with towards the shared goals that have been pre-determined by senior management.

Happy, engaged and well looked after employees are productive employees. As a result -  

• Profitability is optimised, allowing for re-investment in future improvements
• Duplication and superfluous time wasting is minimised

ISO 9001 Optimises Profits

More business = More revenue.  Being ISO 9001 certified opens the doors to prospective clients who –

• Are drawn to you above your competitors that aren’t certified
• Are based overseas and are reassured by a globally recognised quality standard 
• Have a policy of only doing business with ISO certified companies

But it’s more than a sales and marketing boost. It helps generate more leads and sales. Additionally, it helps cut costs, reducing superfluous tasks and minimising product or service-related failures. And financial growth reinforces client confidence and bolsters retention rates.

ISO 9001 Underpins Flexibility

The only thing that’s constant in business is change. In order to remain competitive, businesses need to constantly adapt to –

• Changing client appetites
• New procedural and technological developments
• External global factors beyond their control

Improving quality and addressing risks and opportunities are at the heart of ISO 9001. Together, they underpin a continuous cycle of -  

• Increasing product and service quality
• Exceeding client expectations by staying ahead of the game and of your competitors

In a Nutshell

There are multiple benefits of ISO 9001. They go beyond delighting your clients with your amazing products and services, (though that’s obviously a major tick in any business’s box). In addition to client satisfaction, the benefits of ISO 9001 encompass -

• Your processes
• Your systems
• Your people behind your products and services

The benefits of ISO 9001 can be felt in your corporate and employer branding. And what business doesn’t want that, setting them apart from the pack, during the good times, and when there’s market turbulence?

Source: Benefits of ISO 9001:2008/ISO 9001:2015 to your business, British Assessment Bureau