3 Quality Management Certifications Applicable to Specific Industries

While ISO 9001 is the top-most general standard for quality management, there are several industries whose quality requirements are not covered by it. Therefore, these industries have necessitated specific management certifications with additional requirements meant to address the quality concerns of their products or services. Notably, all specific certifications are based on the ISO 9001 certification because of the certain prerequisite conditions that the latter identifies for quality control. The need for a quality assurance certification is felt by almost every business, no matter the nature or size because it helps them to implement an optimal quality management system (QMS). The QMS lays the foundation for the meticulous and continuous evaluation of their quality aspects. In other words, maintaining the quality of their products or services will help them consistently meet customer expectations and develop a loyal customer base over time.

Here are the key quality management certifications that are particularly defined for the industries that deal with products or services with unique characteristics or have complex processes.

AS9100 Certification

The aerospace and defense industry definitely needs a specific and comprehensive quality management framework to ensure the consistency, quality, and safety of their products, intermediate parts, or equipment. AS9100 certification helps to address all of these aspects. It specifies the key requirements for the manufacturers to establish their QMS across the entire supply chain and ensure management of the production and delivery of the products. It also helps the manufacturers build trust relationships with their customers, which include airline companies, space research institutions, and defense organizations. Achieving certification will help them demonstrate their reliability and continuous commitment to quality enhancement.

Here are some assured benefits that AS9100 certification offers to a manufacturer:

• A foundation for a strong quality management for ongoing success,
• Access to the international aerospace market and large equipment manufacturers,
• Managing and mitigating risks of the counterfeit parts or equipment,
• Reduced costs for risky or defective products that demands immediate recall or refunding,
• A streamlined process of production that helps with resource efficiency and faster deliveries.

ISO 13485 Certification

While safety and quality are truly non-negotiable aspects in the medical devices industry, ISO 13485 certification is meant to assure those aspects for manufacturers. This ISO standard lays down important quality requirements that manufacturers of delicate medical products or equipment need to abide by throughout the entire production cycle. To achieve certification, manufacturing organizations need to establish a formalized QMS, ensure best practices for product assessment and testing, and deliver top-quality products to the clients, which include healthcare centers, hospitals, medical research centers, pathological labs, and clinics.

This international quality certification for the medical industry provides these specific benefits to the manufacturers.

• Recognition in international markets for delivering medical products that are rigorously tested and verified,
• Established credibility of the for medical device manufacturers their inherent commitment to quality and helps to earn the trust of customers,
• An improved system of process controls, record keeping, product traceability, and supplier accountability helps to check any errors in the production or delivery of risky products.

TL 9000 Certification

TL 9000 is the international standard that defines the requirements for the QMS for the telecommunication service providers. TL 9000 certification specifically validates the designing, development, and processing of services that are provisioned by the Information and Communication Technology or ICT industry. It is also based on the preliminary requirements of the ISO 9001 standard and defines best practices for the services provider to improve their service management, deliver services fast, and continuously meet client expectations.

Some of the inherent benefits that TL 9000 certification offers to the ICT industry businesses are:

• Increased efficiency in operating systems and technological processes,
• Enhanced organization performance, including employee performance,
• Access to contracts with high-level ICT businesses,
• Improved suppliers-organization and customers-organization relationships,
• Elimination of risks including delayed service delivery, technological disruptions, failures of ICT systems, data loss, and so on.

Every quality management certification, starting with ISO 9001 certification, is defined for one purpose, to help the business reach its quality goals and gain customer trust. By consistently maintaining the quality of the products/services, a company can strengthen their relationships with customers, suppliers, investors, distributors, and administrative agents. Altogether, a certification brilliantly helps in underpinning the credibility of the organization, further helping it gain a position in the competitive market and achieve huge success.