What Kind of Management Philosophy Is ISO 9001:2015? Alkur's Beyond-the-Certificate Approach

When we present the ISO 9001:2015 certificate at the signing of a supply agreement, a brief “ok” registers in the other party’s eyes. Often the certificate is placed in the attached file folder and the paperwork is complete. But it is not just that.

Seeing ISO 9001:2015 not as a certificate that is held, but as a management framework that shapes how the work is done, reflects in practice on how the product, the service and human relationships run. This piece is to share our daily work mindset behind the certificate.

What does the standard describe, and what does it not?

The ISO 9001:2015 standard defines how a management system is to be established and operated. The standard requires the following:

• Quality objectives — measurable, traceable
• Process mapping — documentation of every step from order to delivery
• Risk and opportunity analysis — identifying in advance the factors that will affect product/service conformity
• Record discipline — every action being traceable
• Continuous improvement cycle — Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
• Management review — evaluation at leadership level at least once a year

What the standard does not describe is: how you will do it. ISO 9001:2015 tells you “set your quality objectives”; it does not tell you which objectives to set. This is where each firm places its own character, culture and technical experience.

What is our principle?

The core principle of our policy is summarised in the following paragraph:

Our core principle is to offer the most appropriate cost and superior level of quality in production to our customers, to ensure the satisfaction of our employees alongside unconditional customer satisfaction, to give importance to training activities with the aim of increasing personnel development and efficiency, and to ensure the development of our quality system and product quality with the principle of continuous improvement.

This statement may be written on paper in the classic language of a quality policy. But within it there are two emphases that reflect our specific stance:

1. Employee satisfaction alongside unconditional customer satisfaction — equal importance. In most firms’ policies the customer stands alone at the centre; the employee side is separated under the heading “human resources”. We chose to bring the two into the same sentence.

2. Continuous improvement mentioned together with both the quality system and product quality — that is, the system and the output are inseparable. A firm that does not improve its system cannot sustain product quality in the long run; likewise a firm that does not look after product quality cannot sustain system discipline. Two gears, turning each other.

Five implementation principles

The implementation side of the policy text is gathered under these five headings:

1. We set quality objectives and follow them systematically
2. We carry out production fully compliant with legal regulations, statutes and standards
3. We act with a high level of environmental protection awareness, minimising natural resource use and our environmental impacts
4. We continuously improve occupational safety practices that protect personnel health and safety
5. We identify risks and opportunities that will affect the conformity of our products and services, creating continuous improvement projects

The common feature of these five headings is that they are oriented towards concrete output. We set measurable objectives; when the TÜV NORD audit comes during the year, the records underneath these objectives (measurements, corrective actions, training participation, etc.) can be reviewed.

Audit preparation — what do we do differently?

The majority of firms with an ISO 9001 certificate panic a week before the audit. Folders are updated, missing records are completed, complaint files waiting on the desk are closed. This is a poor practice.

What we try to do is this: audit preparation continues throughout the year. In the monthly quality team meeting, the customer feedback received in the previous month and the issues encountered in the field are evaluated; corrective action is planned and tracked. When the TÜV NORD auditor arrives, the files need to be up to date — not hastily but as part of the daily routine.

This approach has two gains: first, the audit does not pass stressfully; second, the findings revealed during the audit turn into real improvement opportunities — we don’t have to say “the same finding was here last year.”

Risk management — an example from the field

Clause 6.1 of the standard focuses on “risks and opportunities”. Although it may appear an abstract concept, its practical equivalent is concrete. An example:

At the end of 2023 we experienced colour drift in our RAL-coloured panel paint. It was noticed that two panel batches sent to dealers during the year had a RAL mismatch. This is a conformity error that directly affects customer satisfaction.

In our risk analysis this was already defined under the heading “supplier-based RAL tolerance”; but the existing control points proved insufficient. The improvements made:

1. Testing each paint batch entry against a standard sample
2. Monthly RAL calibration meeting with the supplier
3. Pre-dispatch colour control record form for the panels going to dealers

This is the practical form of the clause “identify risks and opportunities and create continuous improvement projects”. Applying the standard means systematically taking the information returning from the field and reflecting it in processes.

Certificate — validity and surveillance

Our current ISO 9001:2015 certificate is issued by TÜV NORD; valid between 15.06.2024 - 14.06.2027. Its currency is maintained through annual surveillance audits. Along with the certificate, we hold a triple management system set with ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety and the TSE Service Competence Certificate.

Conclusion — not a certificate, but a working culture

A certificate on its own means nothing; what matters is how the work is done daily behind that certificate. When our customers and business partners choose a supplier, they actually choose its management discipline; product quality is the reflection of this.

For us, ISO 9001:2015 is the framework of this discipline. For the detailed policy text and the downloadable PDF, please visit the About Us > Quality and Management Policy page.