is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment by helping organizations improve quality, save money, reduce risk and be more sustainable. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
Viewpoint
Question: Why is ISO 9001 still relevant?This question has been raised before and at BSI, we make certain to ask the question as a matter of course. The forthcoming update to the standard - ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems. Requirements - is the result of just such questioning. The changes being made to the standard are limited, but the review involved was rigorous following very positive feedback to the 2001 edition. It's a question of going back to the source and determining what's working and what isn't.
Why is it relevant? First, when a standard becomes as ingrained in the business community as ISO 9001 has during the last two decades, it's important to take stock of its impact and importance. Otherwise, businesses would be striving for certification to the standard for all the wrong reasons.
Instead of trying to implement the best possible quality management systems and processes, they would simply be trying for the certificate. Instead of working towards continual improvement, businesses would lose interest and enthusiasm the moment the certificate was in hand.
Second, certification to ISO 9001 delivers value and not just financially, though that is a factor. Independent studies conducted in Europe and the US have demonstrated that the average profitability of organizations certified to ISO 9001 is higher than the average for non-certified companies. More important, ISO 9001 encourages changes that affect bottom line performance and by extension can improve the operation of an entire organization.
For example, one of the studies revealed that, in addition to moderately increased market share, certification to the standard resulted in even greater improvements to corporate image and increased customer satisfaction among those surveyed.
Third, ISO 9001 is universally recognised, valuable and established, and in some industries, certification to the standard is a condition for any tender or contract bid.
For companies in these industries, the standard isn't just relevant, it's impossible to do business without it.
Fourth, ISO 9001 is the first step to a wide range of standards, from ISO 14001 for environmental management to OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety, and beyond. It can become the foundation of an organization's drive to be more efficient and effective, and open the door to constant improvement at all levels of the business.
Is ISO 9001 still relevant? In these days of economic uncertainty, every business wants to create a more efficient and cost effective operation, improve customer relations and corporate reputation, and maintain a healthy bottom line. What else can address all of these points at once, and deliver more besides? ISO 9001 is not only relevant, in many ways it can offer more to business than ever before.
Mike Low, director, BSI British Standards _________________________________________
"ISO 9001 gives Pannone's clients re-assurance that we provide a quality service and is an important indicator of our commitment to high quality service to prospective clients, whether commercial or private individuals. ISO 9001 has provided a framework for our quality management system since 1991 when we were the first law firm accredited. Pannone have robust and well developed quality systems that continue to be relevant and work hand in hand with other standards we hold. ISO 9001 has gone a long way in helping us to achieve Investor in People status and compliance with the Solicitors Code of Conduct through the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Practice Management Standard (Lexcel). We are working towards ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 14001, and therefore ISO 9001 is relevant as the management system for these standards too. At Pannone, we strive to keep abreast of developments in the workplace and we are passionate about providing a high quality service to our clients as the complete law firm."
Gill Peach, Quality Manager - Support Services, Pannone LLP
Business Standards © 2010. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with The British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
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Question: Given the state of the environment, should issues like energy management in business be more regulated and closely monitored instead of voluntary?
Climate change is such an urgent issue that some might argue the only answer to this question is "Yes". However, creating laws that achieve their goals in precisely the right way is challenging and time consuming at the best of times. And when it comes to climate change, the factors involved are varied - too many for any one law or set of laws to cover adequately.
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