Certification organizes the organization, enhances business relations in the whole chain of supplies. The implementation of a quality management system is primarily a change of the whole team’s work thanks to the introduction of high standards of quality in a daily functionality of a company. Not only does an organization become a beneficiary but also all their business partners – points out Milena Zielińska, director for Making Certification Development in TÜV Rheinland Poland.
The most popular quality management certificate is ISO 9001. Although it is related to substantial expenses, it holds many benefits – enhances competitiveness, business relations and company’s credibility, enables gaining new contracts, and additionally decreases costs of bad quality.
Milena Zielińska believes that companies from different sectors should apply for certification – from IT industry to works, and public entities, such as hospitals or universities. Besides granting ISO 9001 certificate, it is worth considering other norms, for instance ISO 27001 related to information safety management.
How to receive a certificate?
Certificates are granted by independent companies. In order to receive it, all rules defined in ISO instructions should be implemented, including management of a company, structure, communication, regulation of everyday work. However, according to TÜV Rheinland Poland expert, implementation of certificates does not always mean an automatic certification. A prevailing majority of our clients have certificated management standards and systems. On the other hand, a lot of small entities, which do not have such budgets or needs and do not cooperate with entities from the Western Europe, maintain management system without certification for their own – comments.
Granting a certificate is related to substantial costs, mostly felt by production companies which, except for adjusting the company’s organization, have to invest in new devices. However, in a longer perspective, these expenses are reimbursed thanks to gaining better contacts. Certificates may prove to be necessary at starting in public tenders or in the process of gaining a commission from a large private company.
The greatest number of certificates granted to companies was in 2005, that is right after joining Poland to the European Union, which enabled entrepreneurs easier establishment of international business contacts. At this moment, companies most frequently try to renew once granted certificates.
Currently, works on ISO 9001:2015 norm are being continued, which will probably put a greater emphasis on the engagement of a managerial staff in the company’s operational activity.