ISO9001 is possibly the most famous international industry standard there is. Famous, but not necessarily well understood. In this article, we’ll clear up some of the common misconceptions. Because ISO9001 can mean many different things depending on the nature of your business, so it pays to know what aspects to look out for when selecting a certified supplier.
The confusion around the standard sets in with knee-jerk reactions to the very notions of “quality”—ISO9001 specifies requirements for Quality Management Systems (QMS)—and “standard”. Let’s look at the top four myths surrounding ISO9001:
First, when people hear “quality”, they easily start thinking about compliance with the standard as a distinct function, as though it’s something that only the quality department has to deal with as part of the QC. That’s not the case—ISO9001 covers the entire business, from the very first contact with a new prospect customer to follow-up after delivery, and everything in between. So, anyone who adds value to the product should be made to understand and adhere to the standard.
Second, the word “standard” makes it sound as though ISO9001 is one long predetermined list of boxes to tick in order to get certified. It’s not. What the standard asks depends on what the audited company does and how it meets the needs and expectations of “interested parties” (all stakeholders, such as employees, suppliers and customers. For instance, a 3D-printing company that simply prints whatever clients bring in can be certified. As can a full-service mechanical workshop, who use 3D printers to create prototypes for designs that have been invented inhouse. Same certification, but the number of requirements met by the two different companies is vastly different.
Third, the notion of a list of tick boxes goes hand in hand with the misconception that the standard is all about documenting key processes—that if only you cover every action with a detailed manual, you’ll be certified. Not so. Whilst it’s true that the standard does require certain documentation to ensure collection of data and consistency in processes, all that matters is that everyone knows what to do and how to do it, and, importantly, can meet measurable criteria along the way. So, if you have a highly skilled team who know certain key procedures inside out, an auditor will be happy with demonstrated prowess and whatever docs are required to record compliance and gather data. Auditors actually go to pains to underline that companies never should document for the sake of documenting. Also, appearance and formatting of formatting really doesn’t matter. This is all about valuable content, about making sure that the relevant people understand key points. So, you can have ISO documentation in the form of a flow chart, picture or video, for example.
Four, the word “standard” is generally taken to mean a set metric. Something static. But—and this is where it gets really interesting—fundamentally, ISO9001 is actually a standard designed to foster a culture of continuous improvement, i.e., change. This has been further strengthened in the latest version of the standard (ISO9001:2015). Whereas the prior version had a small section on “preventive action” at the end, the current version features “Actions Taken to Address Risk and Opportunities” throughout. In other words, a key function of the standard is to ensure that the goal posts are continuously moved. But this, too, can be done on several different levels depending on the scope of your business.
Let’s say, for instance, that you’re that 3D-printing shop. You could then look at improving the rate and quality of output of your printers (the WHAT) or the suppliers and processes you employ (the HOW). Not rocket science, but perfectly acceptable as per the ISO standards.
However, if you’re a full-service mechanical and mechatronics engineering workshop like DeepDish, the matter of certification moves into a different stratosphere. Because for every step of the way, you’ll also be looking to revolutionise the WHY—the core of every customer innovation you work on and everything it touches.
We do this by letting go of ego and employing first-principles thinking—strictly outcome-oriented—in everything that we do. This means being entirely transparent with our customers when we see big room for improvements in the concepts and designs that they bring to us for production. It also means staying open to new ideas from anyone in the team, no matter their role. And it means asking this question—WHY?—along the entire journey, from ideation, innovation and patents through design and prototyping to tooling, factory supervision and marketing.
At DeepDish, we are always looking for a better way, and we have the skills and experience to identify it when it presents itself. That’s why we don’t see ISO9001 as a formality. To us, it’s a way of being, of thinking. When it comes to fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in the innovative space, there are few coaches better than ISO9001.
