What is ISO 9001

What is ISO 9001 Certification?  Why do we need it?

ISO 9001 is a part of a quality standard that is set forth in the documentation that a company follows.  It is there to prove that this company is capable of producing parts that will meet or exceed the clients’ expectations.  That you will be able to maintain the operations as expected to continue to provide products and services to your client.  It goes further on to demonstrate that the company is about continuous improvement of its quality structure as well.

While there are many ISO standards out there, ISO 9001 is the only one of those standards that requires certification.  This could be for a particular facility or department of the standards that could be for the entire organization.  These same standards apply to those seeking what is ISO 9001 certification to any small business that is a business of 1 or a million employees, it doesn’t matter.  While it doesn’t matter what industry, many qualify for ISO 9001 certifications, however, some need other certifications to operate.  This is not a policy that directly polices your products but it is about your operations.  You will need to establish process base standards that will meet the ISO 9001 standards.

Getting Certified in ISO 9001

Getting certified in ISO 9001 is a company-wide, department, or facility act and not a personal act.  A person cannot become certified on their own.  However, a person can become a lead auditor and audit other ISO 9001 facilities with a 5-day training course.  There is no such thing as an “ISO certification” or an “ISO 9000” certification, there is only an ISO 9001 certification.  Some companies like to use these other terms.  This can lead to confusion as you don’t have to be certified in them.  Remember this is a company certification and it is not some sort of group that you join.

The ISO 9001 is recognized worldwide as some of the leading companies in various industries.  This certification tells new clients that you process in places and measures to keep the facility running at top-notch. ISO 9001 training helps the facility be more productive and overall all improve the output of the facility.  This will also improve customer satisfaction as they work to continue to provide the customer with the parts and services that they expect.  Companies with ISO 9001 certifications get more clients as they are more confident that they will be able to meet their expectations and needs.

Improved Supply Chains with ISO 9001 Standards

The supply chain is important.  With a proper quality management system, the supply chain is protected.  People know and understand what is expected of them.  Materials will be projected and in-house ready to go, there are metrics that define what to do next at each step.  This allows for better quality, better production, and a nice workflow.

A company that is ISO 9001 certified is looked at as the leader in the industry that they are in.  They have tackled and mastered key areas in the Quality management services areas.  These are custom to the particular facility in which they are different for each and every facility.