Why Quality Certifications Matter in Manufacturing
Quality certifications such as the ones provided by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are becoming increasingly important for manufacturing businesses. Whether you’re a plastic injection molding company or a boutique entity manufacturing a niche product, a quality certification will help you stand out.
Quality certifications can definitely make a lot of difference in the level of success your company can achieve. Let’s take a look at why quality certifications matter for the manufacturing industry.
Understanding Certifications
Before understanding why certifications matter for manufacturing, it is important to get an idea of the type of certifications manufacturers seek for their businesses. ISO 9001-2008 or 9001-2015 is the gold standard for manufacturers. Many businesses operating in healthcare, defense, aerospace, and automotives require manufacturers to have this elusive certification.
Manufacturers who operate under the ISO banner show suppliers that they are committed to using the highest quality in their manufacturing processes. Having said that, implementing ISO standards can be quite daunting. Manufacturers are required to go through rigorous assessments before getting their certificates.
Most manufacturers hire an audit firm to help them create a plan of action or a roadmap to implement that can lead them to ISO certification. Once certified, manufacturers must conduct regular audits to ensure that the standards are maintained throughout the production process.
Besides ISO, manufacturers might need additional certifications to ensure product quality. Businesses in the food and beverage industry require manufacturers to hold HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certifications.
The certification relies on seven basic principles that need to be implemented for a manufacturer to obtain the certification. These include hazard analysis, critical points identification, corrective actions, verification procedure, and record-keeping.
If you’re an injection molding manufacturer creating plastic parts for the food and beverage industry, healthcare, automotive, or electronics, you need relevant ISO and HACCP certifications to engage with global businesses.
Benefits of Getting Certified
Getting certified by the ISO or any other important organization has various benefits. First, these certifications create trust in a manufacturer from their potential clients. The certification shows that the company is serious about implementing quality standards and providing premium products and services.
These certifications also set an industry-wide standard for all manufacturers to follow. Customers find it easier to pick and choose manufacturers because they don’t need extensive research to understand their manufacturing processes or the quality standards they implement during production.
If the manufacturer has an ISO-certified logo, they are guaranteed to follow the highest quality standards. Quality standards and certifications are one of the top factors that B2B companies take into account when selecting manufacturers for their products. Therefore, as a manufacturer, you should look to get quality certified at the earliest possible.
Quality certifications also play an important role in helping manufacturers achieve operational efficacy. Quality standards can ensure manufacturers focus on consistency, waste reduction, and saving cost, which in return help achieve greater productivity and organizational efficiency.
Getting a manufacturing quality certificate will positively impact your company culture because it provides a common goal for everyone involved in the manufacturing process and gives them the motivation and drive to achieve this goal.
As mentioned, quality certifications are not easy to obtain and require a great level of commitment from everyone in the organization. The benefits are invaluable because they help you grow your business by establishing trust and credibility with existing and future customers.
Beyond Certification
One thing that manufacturers need to keep in mind is that being certified doesn’t always translate into consistent quality management. Even though manufacturing businesses must conduct regular audits to maintain their certifications, everyone involved in the organization must step up and ensure that consistency and quality in production processes are maintained daily.
Getting a quality certification involves long-term vision and planning to completely transform how a manufacturing business operates and manufactures products. Short-term thinking is counterproductive in terms of quality management.
Manufacturing businesses that see quality certification as merely a “tick in the box” to attract and satisfy customers often lose out to competitors because they don’t intend to improve their manufacturing operations.
Having said that, it can be hard to implement change when you face resistance from your employees. Everyone in your organization needs to realize the importance of following the industry-wide standards and be held accountable for any negligence.
Quality management also involves creating a structure to recognize and resolve issues promptly. This is because quality problems can impact deliveries and customer satisfaction which can be catastrophic for a business in the long run.
Another major area to focus on for manufacturers is to source their raw materials and other materials from reliable and certified suppliers. As a manufacturer, you should partner with suppliers who implement robust quality management systems within their businesses.
Quality management and control are quite big within the plastic injection molding industry. Companies that use injection molding to manufacture high-quality plastic parts for export to major industries across the globe have implemented rigorous quality management standards emphasizing process capability, control, waste reduction, and production efficiency.
Working With ISO 9001 – 2008 Manufacturers
If you’re planning to work with an ISO 9001-2008 manufacturer who can provide you with premium injection molded plastics and parts, check out the services provided by PTMS. We have made a name for ourselves by providing state-of-the-art products through efficient injection-molding manufacturing and top-notch processes.
As one of the most reliable injection molding companies in Shenzhen, China, we pride ourselves on providing premium products for our customers. Our ISO 9001-2008 certification is a testament to our production and service quality.
Some of our customers are Lenovo, Brothers, Canon, Toshiba, and ATA from the printer and electronics industry, Insight Tech, CAA-Arms, TDI-Arms from the defense and security industry, Pegform, Volvo, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and Benz from the automotive industry, and Haier, Whirlpool, Electrolux, Hach, and Mindray from the medical and home appliance industry.
You can visit our website to learn more about the comprehensive services we provide to our growing clientele or contact us for more information.