What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 aims toimprove the quality of products and services andensure customer satisfaction.

The standard describes the management system to be put in place to achieve these objectives, known as the Quality Management System.

Quality is made up of two inseparable parameters:

• Objective, measurable product and service quality
• Satisfaction, which is the customer's perception of the service or product.

The standard describes the requirements to be put in place to ensure that these objectives are met. These requirements include :

• Setting up processes
• Performance indicators
• Satisfaction surveys
• Contract review

The standard is a flexible framework: it's up to you to define how to achieve ISO 9001 requirements , and doesn't impose ready-made systems or practices.

ISO 9001 certification adds value to your organization by attesting to your management of quality and customer satisfaction. It is applied at the heart of your business, structuring your business processes and management. Suitable for all companies, whether public or private, it is a lever for controlled, efficient management.

The ISO 9001 standard is based on management principles which are vectors of improvement for the company.

• Customer orientation: an organization only exists because it has customers. It is by ensuring their satisfaction that it grows.
• Leadership: management is the driving force behind the approach and listens to operational staff. The organization stems from management's will, and the quality approach must be guided by management.
• Employee involvement: taking into account employees' needs and expectations is a driving force for company performance.
• Process approach: develop a process vision from customer needs through to satisfaction, from one end of the company to the other.
• Continuous improvement: building a culture based on the right to make mistakes, transparency and mutual support, to drive continuous improvement in the company's results.
• Evidence-based decision-making: updating the company's activities and processes enables it to orientate itself correctly.
• Management of relations with interested parties: pragmatic consideration of interested parties ensures better control of the environment for improved performance.
• Risk-opportunity approach: anticipation is used as a means to better control results. It is an approach for prioritizing the risks to be addressed and the opportunities to be seized.

Quality risk analysis is a central requirement of ISO 9001. There is no prescribed method for carrying out this analysis. In future, however, you must ensure that the analysis leads to improvement actions within your company's processes.

Risk analysis is a management tool for initiating preventive improvement actions.

The company must demonstrate that it can analyze its environment (competitors, partners, innovations, etc.) and its internal workings in order to make the best use of it in a high-performance strategy. External and internal issues are those that have an impact on products and customers.

Management must be able to explain the relevant internal and external issues that influence its ability to achieve results.

Management must also monitor and review information relating to issues.

Once your management system is ready, you can apply to an accredited body to undergo a certification audit. The diagram below sets out the stages in the certification process, from application to certification and maintenance.

We recommend that you set up a system that is highly integrated with management, with just the right amount of documentation.

Implementing ISO 9001 in your company brings a whole range of benefits:

• Clarify processes and company strategy, and define a quality policy both internally and for customers,
• Improve internal operations for the benefit of customers, quality and deadlines,
• Better manage information, models and documentation, with the rigor of a document management system,
• Define management and HR processes that are followed by all, and develop a sense of clarity for employees.