ISO 9001 is a standard that sets out the requirements for a quality management system. It helps businesses and organisations to be more efficient and improve customer satisfaction.

What is a management system ?

A management system is a way of defining an organisation’s operations to help it meet its objectives.  ISO 9001 is a quality management system.

So, what is a “quality” management system?

A quality management system is a way of defining how an organisation can meet the requirements of its customers and other stakeholders affected by its work. Other ISO standards look at other types of management systems, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management or the upcoming ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management. ISO 9001 is based on the idea of continual improvement. It is designed to be flexible enough for use by many different types of organisation, so does not specify what the objectives relating to “quality” or “meeting customer needs” should be.

Instead, it requires organisations to define these objectives themselves and continually improve their processes in order to reach them. Once these targets have been attained, they must be reassessed in a quest for continual improvement. A good quality management system can bring benefits to organisations of all sizes and all sectors, from the small manufacturer of bicycle parts to a hospital employing 5000 people. In fact, when ISO 9001:2015 was revised, one of the main improvements was to make it accessible to all types of enterprises, including service oriented organisations.

What benefits will it bring to my business or organisation?

Implementing a quality management system will help you:

• Assess the overall context of your organisation to define who is affected by your work and what they expect from you. This will enable you to clearly state your objectives and identify new business opportunities.
• Put your customers first, making sure you consistently meet their needs and enhance their satisfaction. This can lead to repeat custom, new clients and increased business for your organisation.

Work in a more efficient way as all your processes will be aligned and understood by everyone in the business or organisation. This increases productivity and efficiency, bringing internal costs down.

• Meet the necessary statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Expand into new markets, as some sectors and clients require ISO 9001 before doing business.
• Identify and address the risks associated with your organisation

Should I get certified?

Certification to ISO 9001 is not a requirement and you can use the standard to improve the way you work without being certified. However, third-party certification – when an independent certification body audits your practices against the requirements of the standard – is a way of signalling to your buyers, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders that you have implemented the standard properly. For some companies, however, third-party certification may be a requirement.

For example, some governments or public bodies may only contract suppliers that have been certified to ISO 9001. Although we develop and publish the standard, ISO does not perform certification. For more information about the certification process and how to find a certification body, see our Website ( www.iso.org – “ certification” section) and the publication ISO 9001:2015 – How to use it.

International ISO 9001 success stories

ISO 9001 is used successfully all over the world. In 2013 alone, over one million certificates to the standard were issued across 187 countries, and many other companies and organisations have used the standard without seeking certification. Success with ISO 9001 can take many forms: for some enterprises, it is all about attracting new clients, while others see it as the blueprint for internal efficiency.

Sénégalaise Des Eaux

One step ahead of customer needs -  “We have been using ISO 9001 since 2002 and it helps us anticipate and meet the needs of our customers. At the beginning, the most important thing was providing sufficient water for the client. Then, when this was satisfied, the focus turned to the quality of the water and services. Now, we meet with consumer associations every six months to ensure we can adapt to our customers’ needs. At the moment, for example, it is all about the diversification of payment methods, using mobile phones or other services to make money transfers.” Mamadou Dia CEO of Sénégalaise Des Eaux Sénégalaise Des Eaux supplies drinking water to approximately five million citizens in some of the largest towns in Senegal.

Baltika Breweries

Optimising operations -  “Using production systems based on ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 22000 allows us to optimize operations between factories and better integrate many of the companies we have acquired. In addition, by asking suppliers to implement robust quality management systems, we ensure the ingredients we use are of consistently high quality.” Dr. Isaac Sheps CEO of Baltika Breweries from 2011 to 2014 Baltika Breweries is a leader in the Russian beer market and part of the Carlsberg Group.

This information has been provided by ISO, the International Organisation for Standardisation.  For more valuable information and advice we suggest you check out their website www.iso.org