The ISO 9001 first debuted in 1987 with the goal of helping organizations satisfy customer and stakeholder needs as well as statutory and regulatory requirements relating to their product or service. This certification has evolved over time, with regular revisions requiring associated companies to expend resources in order to maintain their certification.
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Its most recent revision occurred just this past year with the release of the ISO 9001:2015, causing many organizations to once again question the relevance of such a certificate, and the worth of holding it.
Has there been a change in relevance?
Many businesses are now questioning whether the ISO 9001 certification is still about quality or if achieving this certification has become nothing more than a marketing tactic. This impression, it seems, may be linked to a decline in popularity of the certification.
In fact, studies now show that:
- 99.4% of US companies are not ISO 9001 certified
- Only 10,000 companies were certified between 2013-2014, versus 90,000 between 2003-2004
- The number of certified organizations dropped by 7,000 in 2011
These statistics suggest that the ISO 9001 is on the decline, quickly losing certified organizations and recognition within the corporate world.
ISO 9001 and Harn R/O Systems
At Harn R/O Systems, we believe that the best testament to our quality of our products are our products, themselves. Obtaining and maintaining ISO 9001 certification may actually restrict a company's ability to rapidly adapt to new technologies and manufacturing methods. As a world leader in membrane water treatment services our quality is unparalleled.
