Don’t use templates to achieve an ISO Standard
Solid Foundations for Growth
Invest in Quality; Invest in ISO Standards
Business growth is an aspiration for many entrepreneurs. For some, the potential rewards of attracting big clients, dominating market share or being seen as game changers are motivational. For others it may be a matter of sheer survival and keeping up with the competition.
Immediate growth can be achieved by simply channelling resources towards a particular aspect of the business. As an example, you might invest in a powerful marketing campaign, but is this sustainable? A competitor with a bigger budget could overshadow your efforts overnight – and then what have you got? The answer is that you have only an expensive white elephant. So what alternatives will yield results and cannot be countered?
What can a business learn from the Three Little Pigs?
From a young age, the Three Little Pigs taught us that when it comes to building, not all solutions have the same results. In order to create something that can withstand the predatory destructive “huffing and puffing” of your wolfish competition, you need to invest in the right quality of offering. But quality has many facets – some of which are more obvious than others, some of which are less expensive than others, some of which are more effective than others.
Sustainable growth comes with an understanding of the processes that underpin your business. By ensuring these processes consistently lead to high quality results, you can feel confident that you have solid foundations on which to build. This is where ISO standards come into play. They help to put quality into every aspect of your business, in a globally recognised format that brings additional benefit in the terms of a certificate that is often required as a component to tenders.
With quality processes and systems in place, a business runs more efficiently and that in turn will deliver more favourable results. When it comes to growth and efficiency, a business that is committed to ISO quality standards is well positioned to attract the necessary customers, personnel and finance. This enables those who have invested in ISO to reap the rewards.
Return on Investment – Historic Proof
Whenever you invest time, money and effort into a project, you want to know that your efforts will pay dividends. When it comes to ISO standards, independent research available on iso.org suggests that “the economic return on investment in ISO standards is clearly identifiable at macro and micro levels”.
Within the UK it is stated that ISO Standards made an annual national GDP contribution of £2.5billion. That is business that would not have existed and been won if recognised ISO quality standards were not in place.
Companies that achieve ISO Certification are reported to record an increase in annual sales revenue of between 0.5% and 4%. Consider that within your own business. Would it be cost effective to invest in a quality standard if it translated into a 1%-2% increase in sales revenue?Achieving Quality Standards
Working towards the Quality Standard certification offers a route to ensuring that good practice is embedded in every aspect of your company. It also provides a clear means of providing assurances for your potential customers, employees, investors or partners.
Quality Standards have been designed to fit around your business, not to force you to start from scratch. Your company may already be excelling in many areas. With advice from Qualitation on where to focus attention, along with support with implementation, certification becomes easy. Qualitation has been operating for over 20 years – and we have never failed to gain certification for our customers yet.
With solid foundations in place, it becomes possible to prepare meaningful future forecasts and business growth plans. It provides a basis on which you can visualise the scalability that can be achieved with the investment of time, money and resources. All in all, it makes your business a more attractive proposition for anyone who wants to be involved: managers, staff, investors and bankers as well as improving your standing with customers and suppliers.
Customer Service
As customers we all want a quality product. When that is what we get, the product or service offers us real value. Not only are we likely to return to that business, we’re also keen to recommend it to others. As a business, having valued customers on board, spreading the word and undertaking a marketing role on our behalf is a godsend. Peer influence pays a big role in building our customer base.
There simply isn’t a business without customers. So consistently meeting their expectations is the route to success. If this resonates, you’ll realise that with quality at the heart of your business, you’ll have the solid foundations necessary for growth and efficiency.
What’s Involved in ISO Certification?
The process begins with a business review. The aim is to gauge your current position and highlight areas for improvement. This can be undertaken internally, or you can engage the services of an expert. The review will give you an indication of the work involved in preparing your business to meet the requirements of ISO certification. You can then decide whether or not to proceed – and how to do so.
If growth and efficiency are your business goals and you feel achieving ISO standards will provide the solid foundations to support this aim, we can assist. Qualitation is on hand to provide advice and practical support at every step of the process. As a starting point, we are happy to discuss the relevant quality standards for your industry, call us 0345 600 6975
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