Management System Certification for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs)

CONSIDERING ISO CERTIFICATION FOR THE FIRST TIME?

You have likely been asked this before: "Are you ISO certified?" Many small business organizations are reluctant to take the next step in implementing a quality management system because they believe it's too complicated, costly, or reserved only for large organizations. However, ISO certification is increasing in popularity, with over 1 million certified organizations globally, including some as small as one person.

The small and mid-sized business sector has been the fastest growing segment of clients seeking ISO certification in the past several years as organizations have recognized the benefits of these standards. Some see ISO certification as a competitive advantage or the next step in evolution of their small business and others see ISO certification as a necessary requirement by their customers’ efforts to increase the quality of their products from their suppliers. Regardless of the initial trigger for certification, there are multiple benefits:

Benefits of Certification:

• Enter new customer markets
• Improved customer and employee satisfaction
• Increased competitive advantage
• Reduced customer audits
• Increased efficiencies and reduction of waste
• Effectively manage and reduce risks to the organization
• Improve financial performance
• Positive cultural change
• Better documentation and communication
• Improved branding

While ISO certification offers numerous benefits for every organization, it's crucial to select a Certification Body with experts in your industry who are familiar with auditing small businesses. TÜV SÜD is a trusted global Certification Body with local experts trained in the flexibility ISO can provide for companies of all sizes. What may work for a multiple-site organization may be different for a small company. We acknowledge that ISO does not follow a one-size-fits-all approach, considering the resource constraints faced by small businesses. Collaborating with auditors who understand the operations of small businesses will result in a smoother implementation, maintenance, and improvement of your management system(s).