Working with an ISO 9001-certified 3PL logistics provider for your warehousing operations can offer several advantages for your business. When a 3PL warehouse provider is ISO 9001-certified, it shows an organization-wide commitment to quality and continuous improvement. In this article, we’ll explain what ISO 9001 certification is and why it matters to your business.
What is ISO 9001 certification?
“ISO” is short for the International Organization for Standardization – an independent international organization that develops standards to define expertly-agreed-upon method(s) of performing a given task in order to ensure quality and consistency.
Importantly, ISO creates these standards but does not perform certification, which is handled by external organizations (not all ISO standards involve certification). Certification simply designates a company as being compliant with a standard. There are 21,769 standards.
ISO-9001 is the “quality management” standard and sets requirements for a quality management system (QMS). The QMS documents process steps that, if followed, ensure that products and/or services meet customer expectations as well as regulatory requirements. The 8 main principles of ISO 9001 include:
- Customer focus
- Leadership
- Involvement of people
- Process approach
- System approach to management
- Continuous improvement
- Factual approach to decision making
- Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
ISO 9001 certification involves a lengthy training process – complete with audits – that takes several months to complete. Therefore, when you see that a company is “ISO 9001-certified,” you can conclude that it is committed to quality and has logged the hours to back it up.
Advantages of working with an ISO-9001-certified warehousing 3PL
In the logistics industry, lack of discipline around process execution can lead to costly errors. A 3PL’s ISO 9001 certification assures its customers that every operational aspect will adhere to stringent quality standards – whether it’s in the warehouse or on the way to a customer. Specific benefits of partnering with an ISO-9001-certified 3PL include:
- Consistency and Quality Assurance: ISO 9001 certification ensures that the 3PL provider has established and follows standardized processes and procedures. This leads to greater consistency in operations.
- Improved Efficiency: ISO 9001 emphasizes process efficiency and effectiveness. Working with a certified 3PL provider means it is likely to have optimized logistics and warehousing processes, resulting in improved efficiency and cost savings for your business.
- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: ISO 9001 places a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction. Certified 3PL providers are more likely to have systems in place to monitor and improve customer satisfaction, leading to a better overall experience for your customers.
- Reduced Risk: ISO 9001 certification involves risk management and mitigation strategies. When working with a certified 3PL provider, you can have confidence that it has procedures in place to identify and mitigate potential risks, reducing the likelihood of disruptions to your supply chain.
- Continuous Improvement: ISO 9001 requires a commitment to continuous improvement. 3PL providers with this certification are continually looking for ways to enhance their processes.
- Global Recognition: ISO 9001 is recognized and respected worldwide. If you have a global supply chain, working with an ISO 9001-certified 3PL provider can help ensure that your logistics operations meet international standards.
- Documentation and Accountability: ISO 9001 requires thorough documentation of processes and procedures. This documentation can provide transparency and accountability in your partnership with a 3PL provider, making it easier to track performance and resolve any issues that may arise.
- Competitive Advantage: Being able to advertise that your logistics operations are supported by an ISO 9001-certified 3PL provider can give your business a competitive advantage. Many customers and partners view ISO 9001 certification as a mark of reliability and quality.
- Compliance and Regulatory Benefits: ISO-9001 certification can help ensure that the 3PL provider is compliant with industry and regulatory standards, reducing the risk of legal or regulatory issues affecting your supply chain.
- Peace of Mind: Knowing that your 3PL provider follows internationally recognized quality standards can provide peace of mind and confidence in the reliability of your supply chain operations.
Partner with Kanban Logistics for ISO-certified logistics services
Located in Eastern North Carolina, Kanban Logistics takes pride in our ISO 9001:2015 certification. We hold our operations to the highest possible standards in order to consistently deliver quality service to our customers, and to meet the stringent requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industries.
We are also AS9100-certified, since we regularly work with aerospace industry customers. The AS9100 quality standard is recognized as the aerospace industry standard by the FAA. It builds upon ISO 9001 QMS standards and adds additional aerospace-specific requirements from the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and the FAA.
Contact us today to learn more about how Kanban’s commitment to logistics quality can benefit your business.
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