Are ISO Certifications Worth the Hassle?

As familiarity with ISO standards becomes more common – at times even required – it’s important to weigh the benefits of investing the time to obtain ISO certifications, or conversely, remaining uncertified. The investment can be quite substantial in terms of time and resources to ensure your organization is compliant to the standards you are pursuing.

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As familiarity with ISO standards becomes more common – at times even required – it’s important to weigh the benefits of investing the time to obtain ISO certifications, or conversely, remaining uncertified. The investment can be quite substantial in terms of time and resources to ensure your organization is compliant to the standards you are pursuing.

What is ISO?

Taking a step back for those unfamiliar with ISO, or the International Organization for Standardization. ISO has numerous standards in which companies can become certified to. The standards in which a company may choose to be audited against and certified to is largely determined by the industries that they serve, as well as the product and services offered.

For the purposes of this video, we will speak from experience as an ISO 13485:2016 and ISO:9001:2015 certified organization.

ISO 9001:2015 is a standard focused on Quality Management Systems and Requirements. ISO 13485:2016 is a standard focused on Medical devices Quality Management Systems and Requirements certifications. These standards establish the criteria for an organization’s quality management system, as well as continuous improvement of processes.

Getting Started with ISO

What is a Quality Management System?

As a starting point, organizations should first focus on developing a Quality Management System, otherwise referred to as a QMS. A company’s QMS is the backbone of their commitment to the ISO standards in question. A QMS is an organized system comprised of documented business processes systematically organized to improve business operations by meeting regulatory requirements and customer requirements, resulting in higher customer satisfaction. If a company believes their Quality Management System aligns with an ISO Standard, then they can apply for an ISO audit to become certified.

How to Get Certified

During an ISO audit, the auditor assesses whether the method behind the given organization’s Quality Management System aligns with the specific ISO Standard which the company is looking to obtain a certification for.

Because of the exceptionally intricate nature of the standards that ISO designs, preparing for and passing ISO auditing requires a lot of time, effort, and intense organization.

To ensure a company continues to adhere to these standards, an external yearly review is performed in the form of an audit.

Benefits of an ISO Certification

While the process to receive an ISO certification can be tedious, the benefits that result from these certifications makes the return on investment worthwhile.

1. Improved Morale, Job Efficiency, & Job Satisfaction

ISO certification is a team effort! From top down to bottom up, the entire organization must support the ISO certification process. In order to pass audits and retain your certifications, all employees in their respective departments are expected to follow the ISO standards. With their compliance, this can lead to improved communications, efficiency, consistency, and job satisfaction through producing quality work, all of which can result in improved morale.

If an organization manages to develop their products to these standards and maintains their certification on a yearly basis it shows they are capable of consistently adhering to standards and providing quality work which in turn can lead to higher job satisfaction across the board.

2. Improved Communication and Established Goals

ISO encourages the organization’s effective communication via the company’s quality policy. The quality policy must communicate what the organization wants to achieve – a clear end goal for all employees while performing their work. It can help provide an answer to the simple questions such as:

“Why do you do what you do?”
“What is the organization’s purpose?”
“Why does the organization exist?”

For example: PSI’s goal is to deliver services to mission critical and safety critical systems while also meeting goals of keeping a project On Time, On Target, and On Budget. Through PSI’s Quality Objectives and Quality Policy, a clear goal is established and communicated throughout the organization.

3. Higher Customer Satisfaction Levels

ISO certifications are being more sought after by product developers and OEMs. Why? The ISO organization has garnered a strong reputation far and wide and is used in many markets across many countries. As well, ISO Certifications show that suppliers can follow standards and guidelines – which speaks to a supplier’s ability to take a detailed and process-oriented approach and will be able to communicate and adhere to customer needs. Ultimately, this can instill a client’s confidence in the quality of your end-product.

Weighing the Benefits of ISO

If improving the overall quality of your company’s system, product, and internal standards is important to your business you may wish to embark on a journey to certification.

Get Started with an ISO Certified Software Firm

PSI is a proud certificate holder of both ISO: 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 while following tailored approaches to many more! If you are seeking an ISO-certified software engineering partner for your next development project, contact us at info@psi-software.com or visit our website at www.psi-software.com

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