Does Your Company Need a
Quality Management System?
The answer to this question is not always as clear as one might think. If your company has been running fine for years without a quality system, the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" may seem obvious. But one thing that every business owner learns sooner or later is that nothing stays the same. Costs fluctuate, laws are passed and industry regulations are enacted, suppliers come and go, the economy changes, and competition increases. In such an environment, a business needs every advantage it can get.
While there's no doubt that sound business management is the basis for a company's success, it should be recognized that there's usually room for improvement. This is what ISO is really all about. When managed effectively, the structure provided by an ISO-compliant quality system promotes improvement, prevents problems, and inevitably results in additional gains.
Generally speaking, increased efficiency and improved customer satisfaction are the biggest advantages, but there are many other side effects such as perceived higher quality and the resulting marketing advantages, improved return on your investment, and fewer customer-required audits and surveys. And, contrary to what some people believe, a well-run quality system should reduce, rather than increase, the amount of paperwork that has to be done on a day-to-day basis.
The thing about ISO is, you must believe in it for it to work. When we see companies fail their initial audit, unable to correct problems, or simply buried in paperwork, it's usually because someone in the organization isn't taking ISO seriously, or feels like they're being forced to do it. As you might expect, the closer the person is to the top of the organization, the worse the problems are apt to be.
If you take away anything at all from your visit to our website, it should be this: Sincere effort spent implementing an ISO-compliant quality management system will make your company run better and make your job easier. Remember also that there's no law that requires your company to become registered, i.e. you can enjoy most of the benefits of a good quality system without the extra expense and drama of maintaining a certificate.
No doubt about it: just like everything else you do to make your company a success, implementing a quality system is work. But the advantages and strengths it gives your organization are well worth the effort.