Often when we’re out networking or discussing our services with new business owners, we’re asked the ‘so what’ question – “So what will an ISO:9001 certification do for our business and will it help us to win new customers?”
The simple answer is YES – an ISO:9001 certification and the business disciplines that it will bring to your business will help to significantly improve the way that you operate, and it is an internationally recognised standard that many potential clients look upon very favourably when assessing tender bids and PQQ/ITQ responses.
It’s probably worth looking a little deeper at why that is the case just to reinforce the benefits that ISO:9001 can bring.
Benefits to Your Business Operations and Staff Empowerment
Firstly, the very nature of the ISO 9001 standard is that it seeks to help businesses improve and control the quality of their processes and procedures. By threading a theme of excellence, standardisation, discipline, quality control and continuous improvement through your business operations, it helps to enhance the level of professionalism of your team, and when rolled out effectively across an organisation it empowers your workforce.
Through improving the processes and procedures within your business you should find that the quality and consistency of your end products or services improve along with customer satisfaction. Happy customers will likely result in more customer purchases, referrals and positive customer reviews.
Sending a Positive Message to Potential Customers
As well as significantly improving your internal operating processes, ISO:9001 certification also sends out a very important, positive message to potential customers.
In the Public Sector for instance, many contracting authorities and trusts view the standard as a benchmark for bidding suppliers as they understand the level of quality and control that a business needs to demonstrate in order to attain the certification. As such, for some public sector contracts it is a requirement for suppliers to have ISO:9001.
Increasingly, customers in the private sector, in particular larger organizations are also now looking for potential suppliers to hold an ISO:9001 certification. The knowledge that a potential supplier holds similar values around quality and good governance within their business can be a significant draw to procurement professionals.
We always encourage our clients to advertise the fact that they have achieved ISO:9001. The reason is that although the standard was not created to be a ‘marketing tool’, it has naturally developed into a ‘badge of excellence’ which is highly sought after by potential clients. So – can ISO:9001 help to improve your business and win new clients – ABSOLUTELY!!!
QBH Solutions are running an ISO:9001:2015 Introductory Taster Training Day for Kent businesses interested in finding out more about how accreditation can benefit your business. For more information contact David Burton on 07795 564089 or email d.burton@qbhsolutions.co.uk.