5 reasons why ISO 9001 should matter to you

We are proud to announce that in the wake of implementing our new quality management standard (QMS), we have been awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification. But why is this something that should matter to you? Our Managing Director, Jon Ridgway, explains.

It is no secret that increased globalization is changing the business landscape. Companies are operating increasingly complex supply chains and service expectations are high. One way that companies can make sure that they work with suppliers who are truly committed to delivering high quality is by adding the requirement for ISO 9001 – the quality management system (QMS) standard – to their vendor checklist.

At Winchester Supply, we have recently passed the ISO 9001:2015 certification audit. For us, the drive behind achieving this certification was about becoming more efficient in the way we operate, and improving the service we offer to our clients. Going through the process also gave us a great opportunity to learn more about ourselves, and how we can do things better to truly achieve a customer-centric approach.

Surprisingly, only some of our clients actually request the ISO 9001 certification as a part of their vendor checklist. So, to help define why ISO should earn a place on your checklist, I have outlined 5 reasons why ISO 9001 should matter to you.

Why should ISO 9001 matter to you

1. Products and services that meet your needs and expectations – a company that is certified with ISO 9001 is committed to managing its business to ensure that your needs are clearly understood, agreed and fulfilled.
2. Consistency in processes for your peace of mind – the certification process includes identifying and describing internal processes using business metrics. Naturally this means companies learn a lot about how to better manage and control these processes. These include things like monitoring customer satisfaction, obtaining feedback, dealing with complaints and account management. So it’s easy to get what you need, when you need it.
3. Continual improvements delivered to you – one of the main ideas behind ISO 9001 is continual improvements in quality across every process, every product and every interaction. Which means you benefit from ongoing improvements.
4. A team who feels empowered to help you – implementing an ISO 9001 QMS provides the team with clear expectations (things like quality objectives and job descriptions), the tools to do their job (procedures and work instructions), and prompt, actionable feedback on their performance (process metrics). So the team is empowered to provide professional, prompt resolution and great service.
5. It’s the only international standard for quality – ISO 9001 is a worldwide standard administered by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), based in Switzerland. ISO 9001 is currently in use by 1.1 million organisations around the world so companies that have ISO 9001 certification belong to a very select group.

When you are choosing a supply partner with ISO 9001 certification, you can be assured that you are choosing a partner who is ambitious, reliable, and motivated to deliver high quality products and services. Is that the kind of partner you’d like to be working with? Learn more about how we help clients with our case studies.

This prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification — the latest iteration of the world’s leading quality assurance standard, ISO 9001 — is granted for meeting or exceeding rigorous international standards in quality management. Learn more about it here