Don’t Fall for These Myths About ISO 9001 Certification!
“ISO 9001 is a too difficult to achieve, the ISO certification process is so costly that it is not worth it for small businesses,”, or “ISO 9001 certification is just a benchmark for quality and has little or no value addition to the organizations,” are just a few of the myths or misconceptions about ISO 9001. It is due to these that a large number of organizations are still worried about achieving it and lacking the confidence to invest any money on it.
However, it is also true that ISO 9001 is the most effective tool for businesses, public sector organizations, and non-profit organizations, as it ensures the quality of their services or products. Also, several businesses talk about the subsequent benefits of certification, like operational efficiency, reduced errors in the processes, and resource optimization, which evolves due to the implementation of an effective quality management system or QMS. Despite these stated benefits, many businesses, especially small ones, are hesitant to get ISO certified because of the rumored misconceptions that surround it. This blog will throw some light on those popular misconceptions and explain why not to believe them.
Myth 1: ISO Certified QMS means the business has to work differently
Many businesses are skeptical about ISO 9001 certification because they think the implementation of a uniform QMS that obeys the ISO 9001 requirements will require them to operate much differently from before. However, that is not fully true. The standard will only require a QMS that will streamline your existing processes only. and help your business to operate in a more systematic way. Clearly, the standard brings order and consistency in the business processes, but does not make it work differently with different processes.
Myth 2: ISO Certification process is lengthy and hence costly
Obviously, implementing a QMS will bring some additional costs for the business. However, these costs do not have to be out of the budget for small businesses. The costs invested in certification will be easily recovered with the assured long-term benefits of the QMS, such as efficient processes, happy customers owing to quality products, increased reputation, and more business opportunities. Furthermore, getting a team of consultants as your partner for the ISO certification process will help you optimize the costs! They will guide you with the most simple, time-saving procedure to certification, avoiding all the loopholes and redundancies.
Myth 3: QMS needs huge documentation that is of little use
It is true that ISO certification requires businesses to go through bulky paperwork or documentation to formalize the QMS and its implementation in their organization. However, stating that the documentation is of no use and is simply an official requirement for the certification is wrong. Documentation allows different organizations to integrate their QMS, how it will operate, and how the QMS will align with the ISO 9001 obligations. The documentation or paperwork will declare to the certification body that the business is following a uniform QMS that complies with ISO 9001.
Myth 4: The ROI of ISO 9001 certification does not make it an attractive investment
Many businesses think that the return of investments or ROI that come from ISO certification is not worth the effort that goes into certification. This is because the long-term returns properly show when the business’s products and services start to be appreciated for their reliability of quality. A lower ROI from the initial investment in certification generally is not good, because it is measuring short term benefits. Sometimes this can deter small businesses, however, they forget that ISO 9001 certification with an effective QMS will attract consistent business growth and help them thrive in a stable environment. When customers learn that your business prioritizes quality, they are likely to continue to purchase your products or services. Likewise, suppliers will be eager to channel their supplies through your business to enhance their image in the industry, and distributors will seek more contracts with you to show customers their credibility and compliance with the quality standard. Therefore, with certification, your business will experience substantial ‘value additions’ due to the ISO 9001 standard.
Summing Up!
These explanations bust some of the biggest myths about the most authentic and top-level QMS certification. If you are truly seeking growth for your business in this fast-paced and competitive environment, ISO 9001 certification is the key solution. Certification is achievable by all types of organizations, big or small, public or private, commercial or non-profitable. Debunking these myths shows that. A robust and uniform QMS implementation is assured to help your organization by bringing efficiency to the processes and helping to deliver quality products or services. You do not have to change your work processes to get certified, and you will not have large amounts of busywork dumped on your business. ISO 9001 certification will benefit your business, not disrupt it! There is no point in thinking about these myths, instead, contact a trusted quality assurance certification agency today and get certified.
Need help to achieve the ISO 9001 standard for your business? Compliancehelp Consulting LLC will help you! Our quality assurance experts will help you with the ISO certification process and help with the QMS implementation.
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