What is ISO 9001:2015 and Why is it Important?

“Why ISO 9001 Certification is Important”

About ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001 is defined as the international standard that specifies requirements related to quality management systems (QMS).

The majority of organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. It is among the most popular standards in the ISO 9001 series and the only standard in the series to which organizations can certify.

ISO 9001 was first published in the year 1987 by the ISO i.e.c. International Organization for Standards, is an international agency that is composed of the national standards bodies of more than 160 countries. The new or we can say the current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.

ISO (The International Organization for Standardization)  is a non-governmental organization whose main role is to facilitate or maintain international coordination and the standardization of industrial standards. These standards basically contribute to the development, manufacturing, and delivery of products and services that are more effective, safer, and clearer. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) performs systematic reviews every 3-5 years to keep these standards up-to-date.

ISO has revised the world’s leading Quality Management System (QMS), ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015.

Quality Management is the act of managing all activities and functions needed to maintain a consistent level of excellence in an organization, product, or service. Quality is an essential factor that differentiates an organization from its competitors. Undertaking quality initiatives will lead to superior products or services which meet and exceed customer expectations, and increase revenues and productivity for the organization. Quality has become a global priority as many organizations have benefited from its practices.

Commitment to quality is related to the intent to remain competitive and stay in business due to increased global competition. Quality management is crucial for the success of every organization, which is why many organizations engage in the process of continual improvement to secure their future. Paying attention to quality management has proven to lead to successful and competitive organizations, which are capable of offering superior products and services.

What does ISO 9001:2015 Stand for? 

ISO 9001 is the international standard for creating Quality Management Systems (QMS), published by ISO (the International Organization for Standardization). The standard was most recently updated in 2015, and it is referred to as ISO 9001:2015. In order to be released and updated, ISO 9001 had to be agreed upon by a majority of member countries so that it would become an internationally recognized standard, which means it is accepted by a majority of countries worldwide.

What are quality management systems in ISO 9001:2015? 

An ISO 9001:2015 definition would be that this standard provides the QMS requirements to be implemented for a company that wants to create all of the policies, processes, and procedures necessary to provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory needs and improve customer satisfaction. Quality management systems are the foundation of quality assurance activities.

Quality Management is the act of managing all activities and functions needed to maintain a consistent level of excellence in an organization, product, or service. Quality is an essential factor that differentiates an organization from its competitors. Undertaking quality initiatives will lead to superior products or services which meet and exceed customer expectations, and increase revenues and productivity for the organization.

Quality has become a global priority as many organizations have benefited from its practices. Commitment to quality is related to the intent to remain competitive and stay in business due to increased global competition.

Quality management is crucial for the success of every organization, which is why many organizations engage in the process of continual improvement to secure their future. Paying attention to quality management has proven to lead to successful and competitive organizations, which are capable of offering superior products and services.

Importance of ISO 9001:2015

As mentioned above, ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognized standard for creating, implementing, and maintaining a Quality Management System for a Company.

ISO 9001:2015 is intended to be used by organizations of any size or industry, and it can be used by any company. As an international standard, it is recognized as the basis for any company to create a system to ensure customer satisfaction and improvement and, as such, many corporations require this certification from their suppliers.

ISO 9001:2015 certification provides your customers reassurance that you have established a Quality Management System based on some of the principles of quality management of ISO 9001. To learn more about the quality management principles behind the International Organization of Standards (ISO 9001).

ISO 9001 is such an essential and influential standard that is used as the basis when industry groups want to create their own industry standards; this includes AS9100 for the aerospace industry, ISO 13485 for the medical devices industry, and IATF 16949 for the automotive industry.

A survey of ISO 9001 certification at the end of 2017 shows that, in spite of the global recession, the number of companies that have implemented the ISO 9001 quality management standard still remains stable worldwide. Below are the results over the previous six-year period.

ISO 9000 VS 9001

While ISO 9001:2015 is the current ISO standard for creating a Quality Management System, there are other documents in the ISO 9000 family that support the ISO 9001:2015 requirements. ISO 9000 explains the seven quality management principles behind ISO 9001 and defines all of the terms used within the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Additionally, ISO 9004 provides guidance on making an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System more successful and focuses on how to improve the implemented ISO 9001:2015 processes by giving some best practice information.

Importance & Benefit of ISO 9001:2015 for Sole Proprietor

The above definition of ISO 9001:2015 highlights its significance for every business. However, an ISO 9001:2015 certification holds immense importance and benefits for a sole proprietary company. These benefits are briefly explained below:

  1. BUSINESS ATTRACTION: As a sole proprietor company, attracting business can prove a little tough. That’s because the proprietor would assume a sort of ‘all-rounder’ role. In most instances, a sole proprietor would not have many employees due to budgetary constraints or financial issues. In such cases, an ISO 9001:2015 certification helps attract business easily. Your ISO 9001:2015 certification is proof that your business meets the Quality Management System that’s accepted worldwide. It instills a sense of trust among other organizations that are looking for suppliers, contractors, or products and services. In such cases, a sole proprietor business stands a better chance of attracting business from quality-conscious organizations.
  2. EASY WAY TO GET GOVERNMENT APPROVALS: If you are a sole proprietor and wish to bid for government contracts, an ISO 9001:2015 certification helps a lot. To bid for Central and state government contracts, your business has to get pre-qualified by appropriate departments. This is where an ISO 9001:2015 certification plays a pivotal role. It can help you get pre-qualifications to bid for government tenders and contracts much faster compared to those businesses that do not have an ISO certification. As you would know, the Indian and state governments launch multi-million Rupee projects. As ISO 9001:2015 certified business and pre-qualifications, you can bid for these lucrative projects. Furthermore, decision-makers usually shortlist ISO-certified companies since they meet stringent international standards. However, getting a prestigious government contract also depends on several factors such as your price. Yet, an ISO 9001:2015 certification offers you that leading edge over other bidders.
  3. PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL FIRMS: The ‘Make in India’ initiative by the Indian government aims at attracting foreign companies to enter joint ventures or initiate projects with Indian partners. Usually, internal rules and regulations of large foreign corporations stipulate that they deal with ISO-certified partners only. That’s because the foreign company knows your sole proprietor business complies with the global Quality Management System. Getting foreign partnerships is something that every business looks forward to. It opens doors to prosperity and growth as well as puts your business on the international map. Furthermore, it’s also very prestigious to partner with foreign firms, especially sole proprietor companies. All this translates as more business for your sole proprietary organization.
  4. ATTRACTS QUALITY JOBSEEKERS: If your sole proprietary business looks at hiring employees, an ISO 9001 certification helps attract better talent. That’s because jobseekers with experience look for certain criteria of an organization before they apply. When a sole proprietary business has an ISO 9001:2015 certification, it creates an excellent impression among qualified and experienced job seekers. Hence you can select from the best candidates. ISO 9001:2015 also covers the administration and human resources practices of a business. Hence, job seekers looking for career growth and working for excellent companies would be more eager to opt to work for your sole proprietary company than another, even a non-ISO firm offers slightly better pay. As a sole proprietor, you also benefit because a fresh employee also has to comply with ISO 9001:2015 clause and hence, ensure proper productivity and working standards.
  5. Builds strong Customers relationship/trust/Confidence: Research worldwide clearly proves that customers- whether individuals or companies- usually trust businesses that hold ISO 9001:2015 certification. That’s because ISO 9001:2015 also covers Quality Management Systems in customer care and after-sales service. When a customer seeks after-sales service, a sole proprietary company has standard operating procedures for all processes. This leads to greater customer satisfaction. And this further translates to customer confidence and trust.
  6. BRAND REPUTATION: ISO 9001:2015 certification helps organizations build their reputation in the marketplace. It helps the organization to become strong and have a base in the marketplace.
  7. GLOBAL PRESENCE: ISO 9001:2015 certification is a globally recognized standard. Organizations that are ISO certified are recognized all over the world. ISO certification helps to build the image globally and also provides great recognition across the entire globe.
  8. BOOSTS REVENUE: Customers are more likely to purchase products and services when the company is ISO certified, this results in increased revenue.
  9. BETTER QUALITY: ISO certification ensures that consumers receive high-quality goods and services. ISO certification helps to get a good quality product to the customer and there must be no such adulteration in any of the consumer goods.
  10. ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY: Implementing ISO standards enables organizations to operate their businesses more efficiently, resulting in increased efficiency.
  11. An increasing number of organizations are opting for ISO 9001:2015 certification because the standards benefit them by consistently improving their outcomes and processes and because it is a valuable prerequisite for customer acquisition. The certification is bound to exponentially benefit an organization if ISO 9001:2015 is implemented with the right legal guidance.
  12. PRODUCT QUALITY: In case a business obtains an ISO 9001:2015 certification, this means that a product is of international standards and is recognized globally. It also means that there are fewer chances of rejection as the product is ISO certified and the product is flawless. 
  13. GOVERNMENT TENDERS:  ISO certificate gives your business an advantage when there is any government tender released. 
  14. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: These standards help the business in achieving efficiency in their ways and methods of production, which would help in getting better service to the customer.
  15. BUSINESS EFFICIENCY: Any business can achieve functional efficiency in its methods of working. The ISO certification agency will help in the development of your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) and work instructions, which will ultimately benefit the business.

Documents Required for ISO 9001:2015

For documentation, the very first step is to choose the type of ISO Certification required for the business. The mandatory documents required for ISO Registration/Certification are-

  • Identity as well as address proof of the Applicant.
  • Copy of PAN Card.
  • Copy of Aadhar Card.
  • Utility Bill or Electricity Bill.
  • Passport Size Photograph of the applicant.
  • Copy of sale deed in case of owned property.
  • Rental agreement in case of rental business property.
  • In the case of the company, a Certificate of Incorporation and MOA & AOA are also required.
ISO 9001:2015

PROCEDURE OF ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFICATION

STEP 1: Visiting the ISO registration portal.

STEP 2: Upload the required documents and information to the portal.

  • Submit the scanned copy of your passport-size photos.
  • Submit the scanned copies of your Aadhaar card and purchased bill.

STEP 3: Emailing the scanned documents to the ISO certification body. 

STEP 4: Our professional will examine and verify the validity of the documents and information provided.

STEP 5: Select the type of Certificate from the list.

STEP 6: Filing the documents with the registrar.

STEP 7: On confirmation make the online payment with the different payment modes available.

STEP 8: Carry ISO consultancy, documentation, and implementation.

STEP9: On successful audit, the Independent certification body shall issue ISO Certification.

Why Choose Legaltax for ISO 9001:2015 Certification?

At Legaltax, we recommend companies get ISO certification as it sets an expectation in your company of international standards. Our team of experts provides support in every phase of the certification process:

  • Proper Planning
  • Designing
  • Implementation
  • Monitoring 
  • Controlling
  • Improving 

We are ready to go that extra mile to help businesses achieve their goal. We provide our best services to our customers always and are ready to resolve any kind of issues related to the certification process. 

Conclusion

An ISO 9001:2015 certification isn’t merely for prestige or attracting more business. It also helps sole proprietary businesses to emerge as industry leaders by constantly improving quality and standards. Therefore, the importance and benefits of ISO 9001:2015 for sole proprietor businesses shouldn’t be underestimated.

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