Why it’s worth implementing and how our webcast can support you in this
To read this article in German, please click here.
Why ISO?
In order to efficiently manage processes, it’s necessary to keep a holistic view of the organization in mind. If organizations are able to identify who is affected by certain business processes and what the end result of those processes should be then they have a good foundation for optimization of their organization. With the help of ISO standards, companies can improve the way they
- define goals
- identify and reduce risks
- recognize new business opportunities
- strive for customer satisfaction
Organizations not only gain business benefits through ISO but are also able to simultaneously strengthen the trust of their customers and partners. Almost one million organizations worldwide are ISO 9001 certified, often through their own initiative. For many however, this certification is a fundamental requirement: public sector organizations for example are only allowed to do business with companies that are ISO certified.
ISO 9001: 2015 - Revision with a stronger focus on management
The exact requirements for a quality management system are defined by ISO 9001:2015 and give it a fundamental character. As the successor of 9001:2008 this version also reflects new circumstances arising due to forces like globalization. Additionally, it follows a high level structure and is strongly concentrated on process risks.
ISO 9001:2015 is strongly focused on getting management involved and thus encourages the organization-wide implementation of quality orientation. The focus is on establishing management as the significant driving force, to understand problems and to introduce the correct steps in order to reach quality goals throughout the organization.
Additionally, organizations are supported step-by-step to approach risks in a structured way. Risk Management was also a part of the previous version, however then it was C-level management who were tasked with being the driving force. Risks that threaten your success are not only found in value added processes, but also in leadership and organizational processes. Corporate management must ensure that these things are identified and prioritized, so that suitable counteractive measures can be introduced in good time.
Getting Started
Firstly, it’s important to inform yourself about the specific benefits to be gained, and to also make your employees aware of these. Management, as well as colleagues in the various departments should know the value of the initiative in order to carry the project through. Without an holistic approach, the introduction of standards will be more difficult. First, key processes should be identified and adjusted to explicitly consider both company, as well as customer goals.
In line with ISO, all relevant business processes must be continuously documented, analyzed and monitored. An appropriate software support is therefore of crucial importance. This makes documentation in BPMN 2.0, the identification of risks and controls directly at individual process steps, and sound data analysis possible. Professional Process Management promotes the transparency and comprehensibility of processes throughout the whole organization and is therefore the key to the aforementioned increase in efficiency and agility.
Reference and Practical Experience: Our Free Live-Webcast (language: German)
The introduction of ISO-9001 is particularly challenging for small and medium enterprises. There is a lack of experience and knowledge as well as methods and tools. The time and resource effort is also relatively high. Guido Lange, CEO at cip alpha advises organizations on tried and tested reference models and will present the SUDOQU model in a collaborative webcast with Signavio. This allows small organizations to introduce and implement an ISO certification despite limited finances and resources. Thus organizations gain security and are able to recognize possibilities and required actions more easily. The webcast will take place on February 22nd. Participants can benefit from reference processes out of the Signavio Process Editor, texts out of the QM handbook as well as Excel templates which have already been recognized as passing the 9001:2015 certification.
Read more information about the webcast and register online now.