ISO 9001:2015—An Introduction

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised quality management system (QMS) standard. It comprises fundamental quality assurance practices that can be applied by any business. In the past ISO9001 has been hugely successful within the manufacturing sector, however, the latest iteration (version 5) has seen the standard heavily revised to appeal to businesses in all sectors.

Without a QMS, businesses have little chance of sustaining any improvements or innovations they might realise. ISO 9001:2015 helps organisations standardise operational functions from input, through to output whether a good or service is being delivered. With the inclusion of risk based thinking, it takes into consideration exogenous and isolated events that many businesses would not usually plan for.

The ISO 9001 standard leaves a great deal of discretion to the business in terms of how it will design its processes and procedures. This enables businesses to customize it to ensure individual success, instead of just blindly following a rigid set of rules.

If you are looking for better overall performance in your business, ISO 9001 is the key. Contact ISOsafe today at enquiries@isosafe.com.au to unlock your business’ true potential.

Proof ISO 9001 gears your business for rapid growth

When contracting to large businesses or the public sector (government) ISO 9001 acts as a prequalification tool. It lets others know your business has its affairs in order. This is particularly the case for Aussie businesses exporting to the world.

A recent client satisfaction survey conducted by ISOsafe highlighted the benefits of achieving certification to ISO 9001. Here is a summary of the results.

•    The respondents from the survey are most likely to be small or medium enterprises (SME). However, the industries covered are wide and varied; the construction, oil and gas, retail, and technology sectors are just a handful of many found within the survey’s sample.

•    We found that 38 percent of respondents said that they had won business (everyone loves getting more clients/customers right?) as a result of certification

•    The survey also showed that 76 percent of ISOsafe clients found that ISO 9001 certification had helped them to be more competitive. Breaking down that figure, 22 percent of respondents said that ISO 9001 certification allowed them to bid for more contracts, 31 percent said they had won contracts, 20 percent said they had raised their profile, and 3 percent said they now have an advantage over their competitors.

•    Of course, fundamentally ISO 9001 is aimed at providing a framework for organisations to help bring greater consistency and traceability to what they do. This wasn’t lost, with 55 percent of respondents saying that implementation had led to internal improvement.

Anecdotally, our survey has shown that clients tend to fit in one of two camps: those looking for business improvement and those looking to win new business. From an industry perspective, the fear is that if the latter reason continues to dominate, ISO 9001 will be viewed as a tick-box exercise rather than a business improvement tool.

In Australia, ISO 9001 acts as a pre-qualification tool. The idea is that it saves companies both time and money in avoiding having to audit every supplier. Certification provides a level of assurance that rigorous checks have already been done by an unbiased external body governed by JAS-ANZ. The trouble is, meeting the requirements of the standard and truly living it are two very different things.

Looking for Civil Construction Management Code/CCF IMS? Find More Information Here.

Why quality management is essential for your small business

With ever-increasing demands for small and micro-businesses to deliver on quality, price and service, the most effective way to enhance the confidence of your customers is through a structured certificated Quality Management System (QMS). For small businesses, this is not as daunting as it might appear, as it should always be based on how your business systems currently operate.

You can manage quality, whatever the size of your business, with a standard that’s recognised the world over. With ISO 9001 Quality Management you can:

•   save money

•   increase profit

•   win more business

•   satisfy more customers

The ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard is the foundation for:

•   A real opportunity for increasing business, and thereby profitability, by being able to pursue contracts with those customers for whom certification is a contractual requirement.

•   Providing you with the opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of your business through the information that the QMS gives you. A QMS will facilitate customer focus, enhanced risk management, increasing efficiency, productivity, cost savings, and reducing and overcoming product or service problems.

•   Developing a system which provides the building blocks a small or micro business needs to progress in that it enhances the recognition of your team members through involving them in considerations, development and implementation. This in turn significantly improves communication and understanding together with a faster response in resolving any issues that arise. All of this is achieved through your confidence that the system provides reliable, recorded information and data to base potential improvements on.

Adopting a QMS should be seen as a business development opportunity, regardless of your business size

Benefits of working with an ISO expert

There are nearly twenty thousand standards covering everything from manufactured products and technology to food safety, agriculture and healthcare.

Use of the standards aids in the creation of products and services that are safe, reliable and of good quality. The standards help businesses increase productivity while minimizing errors and waste. By enabling products from different markets to be directly compared, they facilitate companies in entering new markets and assist in the development of global trade on a fair basis. The standards also serve to safeguard consumers and the end-users of products and services, ensuring that certified products conform to the minimum standards set internationally.

On paper, it can look an onerous task to be able to meet these standards. In practice, it can mean many hours finding, creating and pulling everything together. For many, the time is well spent with accreditation or certification awarded. But, there can also be disappointment. Just when you thought you had jumped the final hurdle, you find there are many more to come.

How can an ISO consultancy company such as ISOsafe help?

There are many advantages to investing time and money with an ISO expert:

•   Important for your business – receiving an ISO certification can have a huge positive impact on your business. It can open many new doors and present your company with a wealth of exciting opportunities. Working with an ISO expert company can help to reach this important milestone faster.

•   Fresh perspective – you know your systems inside and out. You know that your environmental policy is robust, and your quality management systems are all in place. But, do they reach the standard? Are they as robust and versatile as you need and want them to be? Can they really withstand the pressure of interstate and international business? The perspective provided by a fresh pair of objective eyes will make a huge difference.

•   Actionable advice – gaining ISO certification is not rhetoric. They are important business standards that speak volumes about your business's ability to deliver your product or service. When something is so important, you need clear, actionable advice and guidance.

•   Invest for great rewards – when budgets and operating margins are tight, it can be counter-intuitive to pay for a service that essentially, you may think, you can do yourself. It just means slaving away over your desk… but support, guidance and advice from a company who works daily in the fast-paced world of ISO standards will save you time, and money.

Your business is everything. Gaining accreditation and certification such as ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 will speak volumes to your trade partners, as well as propelling you beyond the reach of your competitors. Why not speak to ISOsafe today on 1300 789 132 or email enquiries@isosafe.com.au to see how much easier gaining certification is with an expert by your side

Benefits of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS 18001)

OHSAS 18001 is the British Standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S / WHS). It is an internationally applied and recognised system for the management of Occupational Health and Safety. OHSAS 18001 aligns with the structure and requirements of the popular ISO 9001 and ISO 14001; this means, organisations already certified to the ISO 9001 and/or ISO 14001 Management Systems Standards can become OHSAS 18001 certified with little effort.

Perhaps the most important and attractive feature of implementing an OH&S Management System (OHSAS 18001) is the ability to advertise of a safe working environment. There are many benefits to implementing an OH&S Management System, such as:

•    Improving corporate image and credibility among stake holders, regulators, customers, prospective clients and the public
•    Adoption of international best practice in relation to risk management
•    Ensure health and well being of employees, sub contractors and the public
•    Minimisation of liability of employers through adoption of proactive rather than reactive controls
•    Ensuring legislative awareness and compliance
•    Reducing accident and incident rates by reducing and elimination workplace hazards
•    Improving the incident investigation process
•    Improving employee motivation through the provision of a safer workplace and participation process

For further information on OHSAS 18001 or the certification process, contact us today.