Why we implemented ISO 9001

What is the ISO 9001 standard?

ISO 9001 is an international quality management standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO for short) that helps companies improve their business processes, increase efficiency and ensure the repeatable quality of products and services. ISO 9001 focuses on improving the quality of products and services and optimizing processes, making it particularly valuable in the steel industry, where accuracy, safety and repeatability are critical.

The main principles of ISO 9001 include:

• Process approach – managing the organization through process improvement,
• Systems approach to management – a holistic approach to quality activities,
• Customer orientation – understanding customers’ needs and striving to meet their requirements,
• Management commitment – the activity of leaders in shaping quality,
• Continuous improvement – constantly striving to improve quality.

In the steel industry, where control over processes and quality is particularly important, implementing ISO 9001 helps not only to streamline processes, but also to build trust among customers and business partners.

Why did we decide to implement ISO 9001?

• To increase competitiveness – having ISO 9001 certification is one of the key elements in building a competitive advantage. Customers often require certification to ensure that a company meets certain quality standards.
• To streamline processes – implementation of ISO 9001 helps organize operations, eliminates inefficiencies and waste. Optimized processes reduce production costs and lead times.
• To improve the quality of products – the steel industry is not forgiving, and the implementation of the standard allows you to improve quality control, ensuring that the final product meets all requirements and complies with market standards.
• To improve the company’s image – ISO 9001 certification is proof that the company places a high value on quality and strives for continuous improvement of its processes, which strengthens its reputation in the market.
• To reduce risks and begin to manage them – ISO standards require an assessment    of risks in processes to better identify and manage risks.

Just before the implementation, our company employed about 60 workers at 20 production outlets.

How did we prepare for the implementation?

I divided the whole process into several stages. In order, it looked like this:

1. Analysis of the current situation – Before I started planning anything, I conducted a preliminary internal audit. With this, we identified the strengths and weaknesses of our organization, as well as areas particularly in need of improvement. Due to the nature of our industry, I paid particular attention to reviewing production, quality and control procedures.
2. Creating an implementation team – selecting people responsible for implementing and coordinating ISO 9001 activities. The team also included external experts because of the need to acquire knowledge. Such a team had three goals: to develop a plan, oversee its implementation and monitor progress.
3. Process mapping and implementation of a process approach – a key element of ISO 9001 is understanding the company’s processes and how they are interrelated. In the case of our company, this meant reviewing and streamlining the entire production chain, from the purchase of raw materials to final inspection and product shipment.
4. Preparation of documentation – 9001 requires detailed documentation of quality policies, procedures, operating instructions and forms that organize and support the quality management system.
5. Training of employees -Employee involvement and awareness of quality standards and the requirements of 9001, help people understand the plan and implement it in their daily tasks. It is important that people are not only aware of the changes, but see the goal.
6. Conducting internal audits – cyclical and recurring audits allow us to monitor progress, validate next steps, but also to assess the performance of the quality system before the certification audit. Internal audits allowed us to detect non-conformities early and carry out corrective actions.
7. Certification audit – upon completion of the implementation, we proceeded with a certification audit, which was conducted by TÜV Rheinland Poland. The audit was carried out in two stages and took a total of 20 working hours.

What results did we get?

The implementation of ISO 9001 has brought many expected benefits, both for the company itself and for our customers, but a few effects came unexpectedly. Here are the most important ones.

Improving product quality – the implementation of ISO 9001 has allowed us to organize our production processes, systematize our knowledge and, as a result, achieve better quality control. As a result, our products are the result of the actions taken, rather than derived from them, and, most importantly, meet customer requirements.

Process optimization and cost reduction – through process analysis, we were able to eliminate unnecessary activities and streamline key production steps. As a result, we have reduced lead times, as well as production costs.

Increased customer satisfaction – with better organization of work and identification of expectations of all parties, the company can more effectively respond to customer needs, which translates into higher customer satisfaction and trust in our brand.

Improving risk management – In a steel manufacturing company, risks are always associated with three areas: quality, productivity and safety. Implementing ISO 9001 forces you to identify and manage these risks, thus avoiding serious problems.

Reputation building – ISO 9001 certification has strengthened our company’s image as a quality-conscious company, which has attracted new, but also developed cooperation with existing customers. We have helped growth, but also loyalty.

Better employee motivation – the introduction of ISO standards has such an impact on the organization and work culture that, surrounded by clearly defined responsibilities and goals, the work atmosphere improves and employees are more motivated.

Summary

The implementation of ISO 9001 in our company brought tangible benefits, which primarily included improved product quality, optimization of production processes and, as a result, increased turnover. The certification also supported the building of the image of a reliable partner in the steel industry.

The process of implementing such a comprehensive standard, which after all covers not only production processes, but also sales and purchasing, requires very careful preparation and an honest approach: honest to the questions posed, but also to the answers given in the process.

Today our company has more than one hundred and twenty employees at more than thirty production outlets. From the perspective of five years after its implementation, I can clearly see that the key elements of success in implementing ISO 9001 are understanding of the standard, employee involvement, and flexible response to change.

ISO 9001 certification is as a tool to respond dynamically to change, continuously improve competitiveness and build success in the long term.