One business owner told me: ‘I have been in this business for over twenty years and make a better product than my competition, but I can’t get the business if I don’t become certified.’

Piles of Paperwork? In the ‘old days’ (1990’s), quality management systems were over documented…with way too many procedures or work instructions.  We try to minimize and simplify documentation in the 21st Century.  Most of the time, many or even most of the requirements are already being performed within your organization.  If you were not doing them you would already be out of business…and, no you do not have to hire a person to take care of the documentation required.  Implementing ISO 9001 or other Quality Management Systems in a small company is not as scary or as burdensome as you might think.

Will it change the way I do business?  The simple answer is no…but…there may be some requirements that will have to be addressed in order for you to comply with the Standard.  However, you make the decision on how those requirements will be addressed in your organization and if you need to make process changes in the future.

The ISO certification process is not something that should stand in the way of maintaining or growing your business. Make the Monster go away!