How Digital SOPs Help Manufacturers Meet ISO 9001 Standards.

ISO9001 = international standard specifying requirements for product quality. 

It's not very sexy, but it is super important.
Failing an audit can be devastating for a company. 

👉 Download the ISO9001 Checklist

• Free downloadable ISO 9001 requirements checklist. 

• Helps prepare for your next ISO 9001 audit.

• Based on the structure of ISO 9001:2015 focused on sections 4-10 that contain the requirements for achieving certification to ISO 9001.

SOPs ♥ ISO 9001. 

One of the main requirements of ISO9001 is that companies have documented procedures in place. These procedures should describe how work is performed and how you ensure products and services meet the requirements of your customers. 

Clearly documented procedures help people perform their tasks correctly in a consistent way, which has a huge impact on your quality output. 

Okay, now let’s look at how digital standard operating procedures (SOPs) help manufacturers prove that they are meeting ISO9001 requirements. 

01. Accessible procedures.

Traditional paper-based SOPs can be difficult to find and use. They are often outdated or inaccurate, and they can be burdensome to update. 

Digital SOPs, on the other hand, are always up-to-date and easy to find. They can be conveniently accessed by frontline employees on any device at the moment of need. Making it easier to find and update SOPs will also reduce “walking waste” and make your operations more efficient. 

As a bonus, you also save time and money by eliminating the need to print and distribute those ancient paper SOPs.

02. Improve collaboration and standardization.

Digital SOPs can help to improve collaboration across teams and operations. They can be used to share information across the organization, which can help to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals. 

Reducing risks by ensuring that all employees have access to the latest standard way of working - eliminating 50 different (sometimes non-compliant, yikes!) ways of doing the same thing.
03. Track compliance.

Compliance is ISO9001’s middle name. 

So obviously, safe and compliant processes are crucial in order to nail ISO9001. Use SOPs to analyze when procedures are followed and when they are not. Compare your findings against the standards and your KPIs.

Use this information to identify areas where training or improvement across your frontline teams is needed. 

04. Reduce errors to improve quality.

Consistent way-of-working with clear and concise instructions used across teams helps you reduce errors and improve quality. 

When procedures are followed consistently, you know that your product quality has a way higher chance of being praised by your customers. 

Standards might be routine, but don’t neglect them!
Take them seriously and make sure to nail those ISO9001 requirements.

Learn more about digital SOPs: 

👉 How Manufacturing SOPs (Silently) Save You Money.
👉 How Frontline Teams Impact Quality Improvement in Manufacturing.
👉 Digital Kaizen SOPs to Standardize and Continuously Improve.