The Right Time to Implement ISO 9001?

Although ISO 9001 is a certification claimed by thousands of organizations all over the world, some companies still have a tough time taking the step to world class quality. We are too busy, we don’t have enough people, our customers don’t require it, we don’t need it, etc, etc. Let’s look together at the pros and cons of the most compelling excuses and try to figure out when is really a good time to get ISO certified.

We are too busy, let’s wait for when the business is slow

While waiting for your business sales or production to be slow may indeed be a good time to implement ISO, having plenty of resources to do it may prove difficult to find.

Although ISO may be considered as non-value add or non-profit generator project, it could actually open new doors to your client stream. When your business is slow due to slow sales, ISO could indeed give you an edge in helping you tap a new set of customers who may only accept suppliers that are ISO 9001 certified. Companies in the US and abroad are more and more seeking customers that are ISO 9001 certified. You may wonder why. And the reason is simple, ISO 9001 is a worldwide recognized standard, and a company who is certified to this standard, gives additional assurance that they have a quality management system in place and that they are not conducting business in a haphazard way.

However when business is slow, production needs are reduced. You may have to layoff production workers and subsequently people from other areas of the business. You may be required to keep the minimum amount of people and even be forced to reduce the number of work hours. And if you do manage to get the project started, the system you put in place may not necessarily reflect how things are done when more employees are staffed. Therefore while a slow time seemed like the best time to work on ISO 9001, you have to be determined so you can make this time the optimum time.

Our sales are down; let’s wait until business picks up

Waiting for the business to pick up may sound like a great idea because you will have plenty of personnel and plenty of funding. However shifting resources from critical projects that were due yesterday may indeed be easier said than done.

When the business is doing well, allocating financial resources to pay for the cost of getting ISO 9001 certified is a sure thing. However when business is up, you are probably already in need of more manpower to cover the work associated with increased sales and production. If you decide to assign the project leadership to existing employees, you will have to be extremely careful to not overwork your staff and cause employee dissatisfaction. Your employees are already busy enough with their current functions and adding ISO 9001 to their plates may actually not be feasible. Besides the learning curve necessary to learn ISO 9001 will be high and the whole ISO 9001 process may take you 3 or 4 times as much as normal.

Hiring a new employee or manager to take care of the ISO 9001 project could also prove to be a tedious and time consuming task. You are probably going to read 500 to 1000 resumes and phone interview at least 20 candidates in order to narrow your search to the few candidates worth bringing in. You will have a problem finding the candidate that not only possesses expertise in ISO but that can also be utilized in a different capacity or functions when the ISO project is completed.

Outsourcing as a viable option

Whether you sales are up or down, if you decide to allocate financial resources to outsource the ISO 9001 implementation process, you may actually be able to accomplish your objective of getting ISO 9001 certified more effectively and efficiently.

With outsourcing you may only need to interview 2 to 4 companies. In fact you may call one of your suppliers or customers and ask for references on companies they have used in the past for ISO 9001 implementation. Once you get some names, you can call them, screen them on the phone and select 2 or 3 to come and present at your facility. A face to face presentation or video conference call will make it easier to decide who will be your partner in the ISO journey. Opting for outsourcing will take away the resume searching, the innumerable phone interviews or the learning curve.

The return on your investment could be as big as the benefits of having a much easier and faster implementation journey. Most ISO consultants are not in business to get a full time job in your company. In fact, they are interested in helping you and getting you certified as soon as possible, so they can be paid and move on to their next project. With the aid of a consultant, is very likely that you will be certified in around 6 months as opposed to 1 to 2 years. Good ISO 9001 consultants know the ISO standard day in and day out, they know the best approach to implement ISO no matter what business you are in, or what product or service you provide. They know what needs to be done, how to get the project started, how to deal with your employees and get the most out of them without taking much of their time. Additionally, most ISO 9001 consultants are already acquainted with a registrar, so they can easily help you get a quote from a registrar that is going to provide the certification audit for you.

Would I get a return on my investment?

Once you become ISO 9001 certified, start by updating your marketing materials, adding the ISO 9001 logo given by your registrar upon certification. You can add that logo to your brochures, your company website, business cards and any other company literature. Make sure to update your customers on your recent accomplishment by sending a newsletter.

You should see many doors opening to your business also. Major corporations expect their suppliers to be ISO 9001certified, so you should be able to tap into these new customers by trying to become an approved supplier. In some cases could improve your existing alliances, by solidifying partnerships with customers who have various levels of supplier approval. In some organizations, suppliers are classified depending on how many requirements they meet, and adding ISO 9001 to your portfolio may very well leap frog you into the highest level of approval. This could help you get larger orders or even qualify you to provide additional products or services.

But the return on your investment will not end with more business. You will see increased employee satisfaction and subsequently, increased productivity, efficiency and ultimately increased customer satisfaction. With ISO in place, you now have a solid foundation to continue to improve and become a world class quality company.