Winning tenders is key to your business, forging relationships with other companies and increasing your revenue.
One of the many benefits of ISO 9001 certification is that it can help boost your organisation’s chance of winning new contracts and accessing more tenders.
Winning tenders is a competitive space; having a quality management system (QMS) certified to ISO 9001 allows your business to stand out from competitors.
A QMS helps businesses to improve their operations and meet customer requirements. A QMS is typically a set of policies and processes that help companies reduce waste, improve overall performance and provide a sound basis for sustainable growth. By implementing a QMS, businesses can improve their overall efficiency and performance.
ISO 9001 is the world’s leading quality management standard that can help your business win more tenders, and it was developed by the International Organization for Standardization.
Find out more about what a quality management system is and how it works.
Benefits of ISO 9001 certification – how it can help win you more tenders
Inspiring customer trust
A key benefit of ISO 9001 certification is that it is an internationally recognised quality management standard demonstrating a company’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
When customers see that a company is ISO 9001 certified, they know that the company is serious about providing quality products and services.
ISO 9001 certified companies must meet strict requirements for quality management, instilling confidence in customers that the company is constantly striving to improve its quality. So, is ISO 9001 worth it? Indeed, customers can feel reassured that they will receive consistent, high-quality products and services from an ISO 9001-certified company, making it a crucial part of building customer trust.
Point of difference
Businesses with ISO 9001 certification can stand out in crowded bid pitches.
A QMS can give your business the quality factor over competitors as the certification lets businesses and customers know that you meet international standards.
A fundamental purpose of ISO 9001 is to ensure quality in your products and services, naturally increasing customer satisfaction and gaining credibility among your customer base. This can set you apart from the competition, increasing your appeal to potential tenders.
Read our guide to the key differences between quality assurance and quality control.
Meeting requirements
One of the key benefits of ISO 9001 certification is complying with tender requirements.
Some Request for Tender (RFT), Invitations to Tender (ITT) and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) documents specify that a business must be ISO 9001 certified. By holding ISO 9001 certification, you could gain access to more tenders, increasing your chances of winning more.
If your business is ISO 9001 certified, you’re less likely to have to provide additional material confirming your processes, procedures and policies. Also, with certification, you can automatically tick the box to ensure you have the proper certification and often bypass lengthy PQQs. Therefore, holding ISO 9001 certification often makes the tender process smoother for your business.
Continually improving your QMS with certification allows your business to keep up-to-date with changing tender requirements, increasing your access to available tenders. With ISO 9001 certification, your business is subject to mandatory audits to ensure you continuously comply with quality standards, helping your company meet tender requirements consistently.
Read our guide to the eight principles of ISO 9001.
Applying for public contracts
ISO 9001 is often a requirement for a business, especially when applying for public contracts. Some government bodies will insist that a company is ISO 9001 certified as a requirement to go through the tender process. In this case, businesses must provide evidence of certification from a reputable body such as Certification Europe.
ISO 9001 certification is still highly relevant and essential for smaller businesses that wish to win more tenders, domestically and internationally. Governments and large organisations recognise how important it is for smaller firms to be up to date with the latest standards to maintain a successful and competitive edge.
Holding ISO 9001 certification reassures the public sector that your company has the appropriate quality standards. This is particularly important for government bodies to prove how taxpayers’ money is being spent.
ISO 9001-only supply chains
One of the benefits of ISO 9001 certification is that it can help your business break into ISO 9001-only supply chains. Your business is part of a wider supply chain, and if a central client’s suppliers are all ISO 9001 certified, you’ll likely need to be as well.
Breaking into these exclusive chains gives your business more opportunities to win tenders, which is why many companies use ISO 9001.
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised standard, and larger competitors will likely be certified. Holding the certification can level the playing field when trying to win tenders over your competition.
ISO 9001 – next steps to winning more tenders
Having ISO 9001 can help your business to win more tenders, but acquiring certification is only half the story.
It’s essential to market your ISO 9001 certification to let customers and other businesses know. Without marketing your certificate and what it does, potential customers may be unaware of your accreditation, the benefits of ISO 9001 certification and the value it adds to your company.
Instead of stating you are ISO 9001 certified, your company could promote the benefits of ISO 9001 certification through presentations, meetings or blog posts.
This might help tender bid readers become familiar with the standard, highlighting the worth of your business to them. In this case, promoting your certification achievement could positively impact your chances of winning a tender.
Discover how to improve your business’s operations with ISO 9001 at Certification Europe. Learn more about the benefits of ISO 9001 for your business and how you can start your journey to ISO 9001 certification today.
