The Certification Edge I February 2010 Enterprise Minnesota Magazine

Enterprise Minnesota Magazine - February 2010

HELPING MANUFACTURERS GROW PROFITABLY

The Certification Edge

ISO Certification is beneficial - and attainable - for Minnesota manufacturers

BY MARK AMES

No matter the type of organization, business is about confidence. Your clients, stakeholders, vendors and employees all need to be assured that you have the ability to follow through on your promises.

ISO certification is one way to demonstrate your ability as a company. Developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 9001:2008 requires manufacturers to meet certain benchmarks--including keeping adequate records, continually seeking process improvement and monitoring processes for effectiveness. In short, ISO certification is good for manufacturers and a growing number of other business sectors such as technology, health care and government. It is designed to provide confidence, not only to customers and potential clients, but also within the organization.

ISO certification gives management and stakeholders peace of mind, knowing that the elements needed to assure results are in place and effectively implemented.

The certification process is not difficult; it requires an outside audit by one of about 70 certified bodies.
Once the certification is in hand, however, it can mean a new client on the books instead of one that walks away before even getting to know you.

Why not get certified? Factors such as cost and time have kept companies from becoming ISO certified, but for many small- to mid-sized manufacturers, the primary deterrent is the perception that certification means an overwhelming--and often unnecessary-- slew of paperwork and written procedures.

When ISO began in 1987, the organizations that participated were often large, complicated operations, such as aerospace or medical companies. The way they controlled their processes was to write a procedure for every task. As the ISO program grew in the late '80s and early '90s, ISO certification became synonymous with procedures and paperwork. As a result, many small businesses were scared away.

But there's good news for small manufacturers. ISO certification audits are focused on results rather than paperwork. Instead of being forced to document processes that need no documentation, organizations are empowered to take a look inward and decide whether written procedures are necessary. For this reason, smaller organizations continue to demonstrate their ability through the ISO certification process.

"Becoming ISO certified is a proven strategy to ensure internationally desirable products and services at an economical cost," says Bob Kill, Enterprise Minnesota president and CEO. "Companies that do embrace ISO standards and become certified will undoubtedly find a greater ability to attract new customers."