Why get ISO 9001 certified?

The ISO 9001 standard defines a series of requirements for the implementation of a quality management system in any organisation

• Shareholders,
• Managers,
• Employees,
• Customers,
• Prospects,
• Suppliers,
• Etc...

Estelle Hiecque, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Director at Locabri is ready for questions and answers.

What is the benefit of the certification for the directors of a company?

t has many benefits. The first is organisational. By obtaining ISO 9001 certification, the company formulates its organisation in writing. Consequently, it structures management, departments, tasks and objectives of each. It acquires tools for measuring performance. This monitoring makes it possible both to sustain the way the company operates and to improve it continuously.
 

It is a guarantee of efficiency of the company:

• It optimises its resources by distributing them optimally,
• It reduces its operating costs.

The second interest is based on management. Indeed, the ISO standard gives a central place to the motivation of teams. It does not add to already existing tasks, it is an integral part of the role of the manager: manage, motivate, and improve.

For managers and shareholders, the vision of management becomes clearer and provides precise answers for decision-making.

From the point of view of employees, what are the advantages of using this certification system?

For a business leader to be involved in quality is a strong commitment which will provide a guarantee of performance.

1. It provides an identity tool to the employee. The manager, showing the employee that he/she is a participant in quality allows him/her to value his/her daily contributions. For example, if I explain why I ask a person to fill out an ERP form in a precise way, telling him that his work is the base from which the whole customer relationship flows, then he will do everything possible so that his starting block is the most solid in the construction for the customer relationship.
2. It defines a precise evaluation framework for the employee. This allows him/her to know if the work is done well or not, his/her margin of progress, and his/her contributions to the company.
3. It gives the opportunity to develop within the company. With certification, the transversality of certain actions is highlighted which can allow employees to develop in their company.

What are the benefits for customers of using an ISO 9001 certified company?

he ISO standard is an international standard, therefore all companies and organisations are certified according to the same evaluation criteria. This gives a homogeneity of the performance criteria.

Once this is done, we can say that the customer is guaranteed the quality of the products and services provided. And, the image of the company is linked to this quality.

The remarks made by the customers are taken into account and integrated into the processes of continuous improvement. For example, at Locabri, we have a quarterly meeting on customer feedback after satisfaction surveys conducted following the installation of their modular structure, and we review the suggested changes. Some are deployed instantly, others, which require some modification to our removable buildings, will take place after development by our Design Office.

Finally, being certified today is a commercial argument. For certain major accounts, in the oil, chemical or food processing industry, the ISO 9001 standard is a requirement for the specifications. If we were not certified, we could not work on their sites.

What are the key success factors for ISO 9001 certification?

My experiences in quality issues, have made me think that management must carry the project and present it as an intrinsic activity to the business of the company. The transparency and the decompartmentalisation of the services bring a transversal view of the activities which favour the establishment of an organisation which advocates continuous improvement. A single department must centralise the implementation of standards to avoid inconsistencies in management or even contradictions!

To conclude, I would say that the fact that the certification is carried out by a third party, it brings a neutral external vision which opens up new perspectives. It is not the company that judges itself.

.ISO 9001 is a guarantee of seriousness for other companies working with us.