ISO 9001 and customer orientation in IT

Goal: optimal understanding and fulfilment of customer expectations in a dynamically changing environment.

What is ISO 9001 and what are the benefits of implementing it?

The latest edition of the standard – ISO 9001:2015 – includes changes reflecting the experiences and needs signaled by companies facing emerging threats resulting from, among other things, geopolitical events, but also opportunities – such as increasing digitalization. We should therefore not treat it as an artificial creation or unnecessary ballast, but rather as a treasury of guidelines and good practices in quality management.

A quality management system based on the requirements of ISO 9001 is a tool that enables organizations to achieve sustainable success and competitive advantage in a demanding and ever-changing environment by increasing the company’s ability to meet customers’ requirements and their satisfaction with the goods or services provided, as well as increasing their confidence in the organization.

Due to the nature of the IT industry, as well as the evolution of the entire economy towards digital business, implementing and maintaining an ISO 9001-based quality management system, as well as a proactive approach to management, is one of the most effective ways to build and increase competitive advantage.

ISO and customer focus

It is worth emphasizing that customer orientation is one of the main principles of ISO 9001 quality management. According to this, an important aspect is to meet customers’ requirements and aim to exceed their expectations. Companies should try to accurately identify the needs of their counterparties, meet their expectations and offer increasingly efficient and friendly solutions.

One of the tools that enables an organization to meet customer needs and expectations is the process approach, which should be used when implementing, maintaining and improving the effectiveness of the management system. This means that the primary input of all processes carried out in a company should be customer requirements, and their main output should be satisfaction with the goods and services provided by the company and trust in the organization.

A customer orientation tool that should be used in the quality management system is also communication with customers. The international standard ISO 9001:2015 extends the requirements of the previous version of the standard in this regard – the organization should establish an effective way of contacting customers, i.e. not only allowing the collection of information regarding goods and services, contracts concluded, but also feedback on the level of satisfaction with the solutions received. Effective communication with contractors is also to ensure that their property – including, for example, materials, tools and equipment, intellectual property or personal data – provided to the organization is overseen for inclusion in the production of goods or provision of services.

Quality direction

Many companies in various industries, affected by the crisis and unsure of developments in the geopolitical arena, are choosing to modernize their business by cutting costs, including by abandoning or suspending ISO certifications.

However, companies should continually focus on quality – not only in terms of the solutions provided or the reliability of the equipment, but also through the use of modern quality management tools.

At Polcom, we understand the above values, and our ISO 9001 certification is one of the proofs that the company meets international quality standards. In turn, the fact that their fulfilment brings the desired results – helping us to meet and even exceed the expectations of our contractors, improve our processes and ensure quality and safety at the highest level – is confirmed by the positive feedback from our customers.