ISO 9001: a solid, reliable hull for a successful enterprise

When considering the way ships are built all over the world, one will find a variety of construction techniques. But despite any architectural preference, there is one thing that most ships built to code must have: a “hull”. The better the hull, the better the ship will stand the test of time, regardless of how many strong winds and swell will have to face.

Here is where ISO 9001 can really help a shipping company.

The voyage to become a successfull enterprise is to build a sound hull. ISO 9001 represents just that.

ISO 9001 has a robust set of guidelines and, if those guidelines are properly implemented, an organization can establish policies and procedures that allow business processes to improve for many years to come-thus building a company sound hull.

ISO 9001 as a pillar of business culture

Usually employees learn along the way their company routine and lifestyles, applying them to their own working habits. When a company does not develop its own culture, then each employee will rely only on his or her own practices, whether they’re effective or unproductive. As a consequence, the business itself will result in a mix of various customs and ideas, none of them able to pave the way for new projects or enterprises. Employees working in companies that are not ISO 9001 registered typically use their prior experiences and try to apply it to their current jobs. Some will yield great results and some won’t – but what is potentially disastrous for the company is that each experience will be different and lacking any common ground.

Without ISO 9001 certification, we have seen employees work in a very haphazard way, with some people wanting to establish good rules but unable to find the correct system to root them in.

The ISO 9001 standard gives you the principles you need to create that solid foundation that could foster and promote a true business culture. When ISO 9001 is being correctly applied, your employees will embrace its approach to make it part of their own business culture. When the company owner or top management propagates such culture with a specific intent, most likely each employee will be positively affected one way or another. Even when some of these practices are not written or spelled out, the overall culture will travel throughout the company Employees will no longer feel as if they are moving in different directions and lacking a shared pattern, but rather they will actually experience a common growth toward the same goals – thus becoming empowered and more confident in making the right decisions for their business.

Bringing a new pride to market

When a company becomes ISO 9001 certified, its employees get excited about the new system being put in place. Not only they are proud for the company’s new quality management system, but they actually feel good in hearing more often statements as “we are creating opportunity for continual improvement” as opposed to the old-fashioned “we made a mistake.” And nobody gets more excited than the sales and marketing people, eager to place that “ISO 9001 Certified” logo on each piece of company stationery and literature.

Although often it may seem that sales and marketing are the least interested groups in getting the company ISO 9001 certified, their behavior changes when it’s time to market such achievement. The registration process, which initially seemed like a lot of work, now becomes a new tool to gain more credibility and additional customers.

Suddenly the ISO 9001 takes center stage, and the company is entitled to boast: “We have a quality management system based on the ISO 9001 standard and we are very proud of it.”

World-class quality practices for a small fee

Conclusion

Chances are you could use the ISO 9001 standard to take your company to the next level and into the ranks of world-class quality organizations.