7 top tips on making ISO 9001 effective for you

Every year we have interactions with tens of thousands of clients. Here are their top tips on how to make ISO 9001 effective for you. 

1. Top management commitments are key to making this a success.

“The earlier that organizations talk to senior managers, the better it will go for them so have those discussions early”.

John Scott, Overbury, leading UK fit-out and refurbishment business

2. Keep staff informed of what’s going on, create a team or assign a champion, as this will increase motivation. This could include a well communicated plan of activities and timescales.

“When we decided to implement the new standard, we assigned an internal champion of the standard inside the organization”.

Ronald Tse, Ribose, Hong Kong cloud service provider

3. Think about how different departments work together to avoid silos. Make sure the organization works as a team for the benefit of customers and the organization.

“...all of our employees now understand the key metrics and the success factors. So it’s helped us out in a business way and in an operational way”.

Maxime Clerk, Vortex Conseils, Canadian consultancy business

4. Review systems, policies, procedures and processes you have in place – you may already do much of what’s in the standard and make it work for your business.

“Don’t try and change your business to fit the standard. Think about how you do things and how that standard reflects on how you do it, rather than the other way around”.

Paul Brazier, Overbury, UK fit-out and refurbishment business

5. Speak to your customers and suppliers. They may be able to suggest improvements and give feedback on your service.

“It results in a more finely-tuned service to your customer, which is obviously very important to us”. 

Mark Kennedy, Salus, UK occupational health and return to work services provider

6. Train your staff to carry out internal audits. This can help with their understanding, but it could also provide valuable feedback on potential problems or opportunities for improvement.

“I have previously attended the internal auditor course and since implemented a QMS for my place of work”.

Claire Pressdee-Collins, Ofcom, UK communications regulator

7. And finally, when you gain certification celebrate your achievement and use the BSI Mark Of Trust on your literature, website and promotional material.