ISO 9001, the international standard for quality management
Anyone who wants to be successful must attract and retain customers. You do this by providing quality services and responding optimally to current and future needs. However, as it is often easier said than done, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) facilitated the development of a standard to support organizations in their pursuit: ISO 9001.
Novellas Healthcare is convinced that we can also achieve this standard. We are increasingly noticing that, especially for our patient programs, the demand comes from our customers and that it can certainly represent a surplus value if we can demonstrate that we also meet this standard.
What is IS0 9001?
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized standard that combines all expertise and knowledge in quality management from the last decades in one document. The ISO standard has since grown into a true benchmark for transparency, reliability and quality within any organization. Today ISO 9001 is a well-known concept in almost every sector.
What do companies have to do to obtain the ISO standard?
The management standard ISO 9001 requires organizations to describe, analyse, measure and continuously improve their processes. This allows all stakeholders to get a better understanding of their role, and insight in how they contribute to the success of their organization, which in turn increases internal quality awareness.
Audit ISO 9001
Audits by independent certification bodies determine whether you meet all the requirements of the standard. You can also organize internal audits before and after those official audits to keep your finger on the pulse.
Where are we at Novellas Healthcare?
We have been describing all our processes for a little over a month. Anke Verheyen is our project manager who ensures that everything runs smoothly. An external partner, Kris Bulens, who has a lot of experience with the ISO standard certification, also assists us. He guides us through the process and gives us advice. We hope to achieve ISO 9001 by January 2021. If you want to have a visual look at the ISO standard, watch this video. Although this video dates back a couple of years, the basis is still valid.