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Global Standards Assurance (GSA)

ISO 9001 Principles

The Seven Principles of Quality Management:

ISO 9001 being an International standard for quality management has been designed by experts from around the world to help you put quality at the core of your organization.

This is done using ISO 9001 principles that define what exactly needs to be done. By following these principles, the rewards will be bigger, customer satisfaction better and the performance stronger.

Here is a detailed guide about ISO 9001 seven principles for a better understanding on how you can implement ISO 9001 to help your business grow. But first let’s get a brief overview about ISO 9001.

ISO 9001 – A brief overview:

The ISO 9001 Standard is part of the ISO 9000 family of quality management standards. ISO 9001:2015 is the current revised version of the standard that outlines all the requirements needed to develop a quality management system. It offers the following:

Meet client needs by ensuring consistent quality across all products and services.

Increase the efficiency of your corporate operations and processes.

Adopt streamlined methods to save money, decrease errors, and boost production.

Meet expectations for ongoing improvement to increase customer satisfaction.

Win more contracts and tenders to boost your revenue.

ISO 9001 standard can provide many benefits to both your business and customers. But none of them can be achieved without following the 7 principles of ISO 9001 2015.

What are the seven quality management principles of ISO 9001?

Quality management principles provide a basis for implementing ISO 9001. The core concepts serve as a foundation for quality management throughout your organization, allowing you to maximize performance improvements while adhering to compliance standards.

The 7 management principles of ISO 9001 standard are:

Customer focus – The main objective of any business is to meet and exceed their customers' expectations. This principle stresses understanding client needs, committing to produce products and services that meet these demands, and achieving high levels of customer satisfaction.

Process approach - A process-based approach enables businesses to improve operational efficiency, decrease waste, and maintain consistency in product and service delivery.

Improvement - Continuous improvement is central to ISO 9001. Analyze and review your company procedures on a regular basis. This will help in achieving continual improvement for your company, which can be maintained in both the short and long term.

Relationship management – Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with interested parties such as suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders, is the key for long-term success.

Leadership - Strong leadership equals higher quality and consistency. Managerial processes offer a united approach, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

Engagement of people - This principle emphasizes the significance of engaging all employees at all levels of the organization. Employees who are engaged are more likely to be motivated, make improvements, and improve the organization's overall performance. Employee empowerment allows them to take responsibility for procedures and identify areas for improvement.

Evidence-based decision making – Organizations should collect relevant data, analyze it and make informed decisions that result in better outcomes. Relying on facts and data rather than assumptions decreases risks and increases the likelihood of making sound decisions.

All of these quality management principles ISO 9001 are equally important and shouldn’t be prioritized in order.

Let’s know about the principles of ISO 9001 in more detail.

Principle 1 – Customer Focus

Focus on customers is a great way to show your commitment to quality. Gathering consumer feedback, whether positive or negative, is essential since it may help you identify non-conformities and improve your processes, allowing your organization to operate even better.

The advantages of a customer-focused strategy include:

A loyal customer base.

Improved the reputation of your company.

The ability to sustain commercial ties.

Grow your sales and market share.

In addition to satisfying customers, your company should consider the interests of other stakeholders, such as owners, employees, suppliers, investors, and the larger community.

Principle 2 – Leadership

Strong leadership is an essential component of satisfying the criteria set forth in the seven quality management principles. This involves developing a clear vision for your company’s future and successfully conveying it to guarantee that the entire team is working toward common goals. This alignment promotes a shared sense of purpose, which can increase staff engagement and productivity.
Additional benefits of successful leadership include:

Improved process synchronization across the organization.

Alignment of strategic goals achieved by continuous development and enhanced managerial abilities.

Effective attainment of quality objectives.

Improved communication at all levels of the company, resulting in enhanced overall functionality.

Principle 3 – Engagement of People

Quality management systems, such as ISO 9001, are not just for senior management; everyone in your organization contributes to the procedures. To effectively benefit from ISO 9001’s fundamental quality management concepts, you must openly discuss concerns and share information and expertise with your team. It is critical that everyone in your firm understands their job and feels appreciated for their contribution to its success. This will not only help you gain accreditation, but will also demonstrate your organization’s dedication to quality improvement.

The advantages of engaging people across your processes include:

Develop trust and collaborative working methods throughout your business.

Enhance staff responsibility for improving procedures and activities.

Improve motivation within the organization to achieve quality targets.

Increase employee happiness in the business.

Consider implementing some awareness training to help promote understanding of ISO 9001 and its benefits. Our online e-learning training platform offers a beneficial ISO 9001 awareness course.

Principle 4 – Process Approach

The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, a core principle of the ISO 9001 standard, promotes a process-driven culture in your firm. It offers an organized approach to optimal process design, resource allocation, and management.

Taking an orderly approach to executing your procedures can result in the following benefits:

Focused efforts on identifying and capitalizing on improvement opportunities.

Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration, improving interdepartmental processes and procedures.

Streamlined processes that promote consistency and favorable outcomes for the business.

Demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness to stakeholders, boosting confidence in your operations.

By managing all aspects of your organization as a whole, you will be able to coordinate operations for higher efficiency, making it easier to reach your goals. Measuring and assessing these interconnected processes can also help you identify areas for improvement.

Principle 5 - Improvement

Continuous improvement is critical to the ISO 9001 quality management system and should be your organization’s primary goal. Implementing strategies for detecting risks and opportunities, as well as resolving non-conformances. Measuring and monitoring your efforts allows you to identify areas for improvement and make your business stronger.

The advantages that continuous improvement provides for your organization include:

Using learning opportunities to help with development and improvement.

Anticipate any changes or obstacles and have plans in place to enable your organization to respond appropriately.

Overall enhanced performance, which contributes to higher customer satisfaction.

Investigations determine the root cause of problems and implement preventive and corrective measures.

Principle 6 – Evidence based decision making

Decisions should be based on accurate data and evidence. For example, to determine the root cause of a nonconformity, you must have the appropriate evidence. Make sure information is accessible to those who require it, and maintain communication channels open.

Building an evidence-based strategy to inform decisions provides various business benefits, including:

Accurate performance evaluation that helps your company fulfill quality objectives and make better decisions.

Evidence helps to establish reasons for pushing change that benefits your company's overall aims.

Your operations' effectiveness and efficiency indicate the efficacy of past processes and decisions.

Principle 7 - Relationship management

Your suppliers can be a significant source of competitive advantage, but this requires building relationships based on trust. Building good, long-term connections with suppliers and other stakeholders entails balancing short-term financial rewards with long-term, mutually beneficial approaches.

Strengthening these ties within your company produces a climate suitable to development and expansion, which offers various benefits, including

Alignment of goals and objectives among all parties involved.

Shared insights that assist manage risks for the benefit of all parties involved.

Improved supply chain management.

Improved organizational performance through timely answers to emerging opportunities or hazards.

How Will The Seven ISO Quality Management Principles Benefit Your Business:

Implementing these seven quality management principles while you obtain ISO 9001 certification can help you achieve the Standard’s essential requirements. Following these principles allows your business to foster a culture of quality and continual improvement, which is critical for long-term performance and customer satisfaction.

Continuously improving your processes will also allow you to reduce costs and increase market share by responding quickly to new opportunities.

Frequently Asked Question

The quality management principles were established by the quality management and quality assurance committee (ISO/TC 176) of the International Organization for Standardization.

The ISO 9001:2000 standard incorporated quality management principles.

The ISO 9001 standard focuses on meeting customer needs and exceeding customer expectations.

Planning to elevate your business with ISO certification?