What is an ISO 9001 Shop Like?

What is an ISO 9001 Shop Like?

What does it take to be successful working for an ISO 9001 Certified Manufacturer?   There are many reasons that certain rules make their way down the chain of command; often by the time the rule is broadcast on the floor, it can be perceived as inconvenient or with no discernable purpose other than to make people mad.  If you are the type of employee that likes to look at the big picture and keep learning about your industry, it will be to your credit (and can put you on the path to future leadership) if you become familiar with ISO Quality standards.  The official page is here, where you can find a convenient introductory brochure located on this page called “Quality Management Principles.”

What’s the Point of ISO Standards Anyway?

The Independent International Organization for Certification published a study titled, “Comparison between manufacturing companies that are ISO certified and those that are not certified using performance measurement model”, and here were the conclusions:

“The conclusion was ‘the comparison results show that the ISO-certified companies demonstrate significantly higher performance than companies without ISO certification in all perspectives of performance…

…Specifically, the report highlights that ‘acquiring ISO certification will reinforce the operation efficiencies and product quality, improve standardized procedures, reinforce corporate image, increase customer satisfaction, expand market share and enhance the overall performance of a company.’

To fully illustrate the point of ISO standards, let’s imagine that you are not a production employee or manager, let’s instead say you run a company that builds Airplanes and you need a machined component for your Landing Gear assembly.  Landing Gear is a critical piece of an Aircraft, and yours needs to work properly without failure, because people’s lives are on the line. Therefore, you need to know what kind of quality process goes into the manufacture of the parts for this assembly, and whether issues and problems are handled effectively once identified.  Out of a list of potential part manufacturers, you narrow it down to only a few companies that are ISO-9001 Certified, because you are unsure of the quality and complaint resolution process for the other companies.  Another reason you might be selective about the parts could be that the buyer of your airplane has stipulated that only ISO-Certified parts can be used for this assembly.

So right there, the first point is that a company with an ISO Certification can potentially win out business over non-ISO Certified companies.  This impacts your bottom line as an employee, because it could mean your shop stays busy enough to keep you on board vs. having to go through layoffs.

Now let’s say you, the Airplane manufacturer, have decided to source that part from two different companies to maintain your production deadlines; you decide to buy the part from one company that is ISO-Certified, and to save a little money, you also buy parts from another company that is not ISO-Certified.  You end up having a problem with parts from both companies, because of a design change in your assembly.  After meetings with the ISO company, you were confident a clear path for correction of the issue had been discovered, and in a short time you were getting compliant parts from them.  After meetings with the Non-ISO company, there was a considerable amount of confusion, back-and-forth, and you were still getting noncompliant parts a few months later, so you stopped using that vendor completely.

So the second point of Certification is that the processes built into the Quality Management System of the ISO program helps to ensure clarity and customer satisfaction, and the quickest possible resolution when a problem arises.  From an employee standpoint, if your company’s existing customers aren’t satisfied, then they will take their business elsewhere, which once again means you and your co-workers could be facing cutbacks on the shop floor.

Finally, having a standard quality process implemented at your shop is ultimately supposed to reduce waste (in terms of fewer scrapped parts and reducing lost production time), improve overall shop efficiency, and save the company money.  If this is not also your goal as an employee, you could be indirectly contributing to your own downfall: for one, by decreasing customer satisfaction and the company’s quality standing or reputation, customers could be lost and a potential slowdown may occur.  Second, by decreasing the company’s satisfaction with your own work, you are potentially putting yourself on the list of employees who could suffer cutbacks because they aren’t trying to move the needle toward on continuous improvement.

The Seven Quality Management Principles of the ISO program are:

  1. Customer Focus (understanding and meeting customer needs)
  2. Leadership (presents a unified sense of purpose in serving the customer)
  3. Engagement of People (your company cannot function without you, and when you are not able to perform your best, neither is your company)
  4. Process Approach (making sure everyone understands the process and follows it)
  5. Improvement (making sure the process is as efficient and free of waste as possible)
  6. Evidence-based decision making (using facts and data to inspire changes rather than opinions)
  7. Relationship Management (a system for addressing customer issues and keeping the lines of communication open)

Customer Satisfaction = More Business = Job Stability!

It’s important to understand that a Machinist or Production worker is a critical component within a supply chain: if your parts are failing, it’s not just a hassle to you and your company, it is likely that your customer is now missing their deadlines to deliver their products as well.  Cutting corners typically does not lead to any measurable savings; on the contrary, the problems it creates can end up costing your company money and business.  Your understanding of, and whole-hearted support for your company’s ISO process can mean all the difference in winning new business and retaining existing customers versus the slow, downward spiral of inferior quality and lack of communication that causes companies to lose business and leads to layoffs, shutdowns, or buy-outs.

Read this Blog from Lenox about why ISO is beneficial but has to be an all-hands-on-deck effort.

Furthermore, your adoption of all required quality processes will establish you as a critical thinker and a leader in your department.  If you have heard your coworkers respond to Quality Management Processes by saying things like “I don’t get paid enough for this”, or, “It’s not in my job description”, chances are they will still be making the same wage or less years from now because they don’t see the big picture.  Over time, your reputation for quality and ability to follow necessary procedures will build value your “brand” and increase your earning potential, whereas a generally defensive and non-cooperative attitude may keep you looking for work and stagnate your earning potential over the years.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, ask for additional training, or ask for suggestions on ways to improve; this does not make you look bad, it makes you look dedicated.  If you can improve efficiency or save the company money, speak up!  Realize that there may be other factors involved that need to be taken into consideration and that not all suggestions can reasonably be implemented, but don’t let that stop you from creative thinking and continuous improvement!