What is ISO-9001 and Why is it Important?
Abdulla AlThawadi
Compression & Technical Services*Bapco Upstream*Petroleum Engineer & Operational Excellence Passionate* SPE Bahrain Section Chairperson
When it comes to improving quality, nothing proves more effective than ISO 9001. Implementing it helps you focus on the most critical areas of your business and boost efficiency. Many of your prospective customers may require you to hold an ISO 9001 certification as a prerequisite for orders. For others, it may just be a ‘nice to have’ feature. In this guide, we’ll take you through what is ISO 9001 and why is it important?
What is ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is international standard that specifies detailed requirements for a quality management system (QMS). It was first published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1987. ISO is global agency comprising of national standards bodies from over 160 countries. The latest version of ISO 9001 was released in 2015.
The standard is used by organizations to demonstrate the ability to consistently meet or exceed customers’ expectations and ensure regulatory compliance. It’s not only the most sought-after standard in the ISO 9000 series, but it’s also the only standard in the series to which the organizations can certify.
To ensure the standards are up-to-date and continue to address organizational needs, ISO regularly reviews ISO 9001 standards and develop a revised version. With an unprecedented increase in the availability of products, services, and technology, combined with increasingly more complex global supply chain, there’s an ongoing need to nurture ISO 9001 to meet the ever-rising expectations. Hence, we now have ISO 9001:2015 as the most widely adopted standard in history.
Now that you know what is ISO 9001, let’s study its importance:
Why is ISO 9001 Important?
High efficiency and Fewer Mistakes
Many requirements of the ISO 9001 standard directly or indirectly foster improvements in operational processes, making them more reliable and efficient. For instance, the requirements for updated documentation, supplier controls, and employee competence all lead to less waste, scrap and rework. Similarly, risk-based thinking and process are two critical concepts of ISO 9001 that leave less room for error and allow for more efficient integration of operational processes
Superior Quality Goods and Services
Better quality is the key benefit of implement the ISO 9001 standard, which is why a large number of organizations from around the world seek ISO 9001 certification.
Highly Competent Employees
A robust quality management system based on ISO 9001 impacts the staff positively. Among the core principles of ISO 9001 is to engage and involve employees. Knowing that employees respond positively to career growth opportunities, the standard pays particular attention to employee training. Moreover, an in-depth focus on customers’ needs helps them understand how their individual and team efforts can influence and shape the end product or service, and what actions are needed to foster improvements.
All this leads to strong, supportive company culture that leads to increased productivity, enthusiasm, and high morale.
Conclusion
To sum it up, ISO 9001 is a globally recognized standard that seeks to shape and improve all aspects of an organization. After going through this guide, you should be able to see why it matters for companies. Your next step should be to plan on how you will achieve an ISO 9001 certification. Stay tuned for more insights into how to obtain the certificate.
Yours in Operational Excellence
Abdulla AlThawadi