Customer expectations

SO9001 states as its basic principle the need to 'satisfy and exceed customers' expectations'. But what does it mean in practice? And do you need ISO certification to consider this?

Identify customers' needs

It's simple, surely? Customer wants the right product or service of the right quality at the right time, and at the right price, right?

Well, yes and no. Or at least not just that. Let's look deeper:

Right product

Customer wants to receive what they ordered. That's why you have a robust process ensuring customer requirements are documented, from their first approach to despatched product.

But behind this simple requirement stands a range of unspoken but equally important considerations:

• The right product has to be useful for it to be desirable. That is why you have your market research considering opportunities and trends, and your gated design reviews to make sure your product is indeed useful.

• The right product has to be compliant to legislation and industry standards. That is why you have your legislation register, your product technical specification, your kite mark documentation, your product compliance audit reports.

• But the customer also wants the product that is sustainable and that would not harm the planet. Where do raw materials come from? Do you use sustainable timber?How far do they travel and how? How much energy does your manufacturing process use? How do you ensure your process activities will not cause pollution? How is the product disposed of at the end of its lifespan? Here is why you consider your Aspects and Impacts. And here is why being certified to ISO14001 is useful - it gives your customer confidence that you have considered, and mitigated, the harmful potential of your activities.

• Customer wants sustainable packaging; not just the outer box but also the bottle and cap, or the plastic inserts, or even the labels on your bottles. Back to Aspects and Impacts, the ISO14001 and your legislation register - you want to be able to prove that you have not added non-recyclable packaging to the ever growing landfill, or microplastics into the ocean

• If you are providing a service, your customer wants to be sure it is carried out safely, by competent staff. That is why you have contractor management and training. And public/employer liability insurance in case something goes wrong.

The right quality

What is the right quality? Your final design sign off should tell you that - measurements, aesthetics, materials to be used, tolerances. Your industry standards will dictate the technical aspects of the product.

How do you know your quality is right? You check! You control critical parameters during and at the end of the process to make sure what you are sending out is right. You audit your processes to make sure they are being followed correctly, Thats is where your operating procedures and work instructions, your quality checks and sign offs come in.

And if something goes wrong, this is where you make sure you take time to investigate why and how to make sure it doesn't got wrong again. That's where you nonconformance process and your problem solving comes in. Powerful tool, if you know where things go wrong.

At the right time in full (OTIF)

So how do you make sure you can deliver OTIF to the customer?

• You measure the process at design stage - how long does it take to produce, if done strictly to the procedure? How long does each step take?

• You plan production and make sure our lead times are realistic. You don't want to disappoint the customer by overpromising

• You make sure you have production capacity - machinery, workforce, inventory

• You make sure your process is reliable through regular maintenance and servicing of machinery. That's where your TPM schedules, downtime trackers and statutory inspections come in

• You make sure your supply chain is robust. In comes Supplier selection and evaluation.

Right price

Is it always the cheapest? Our discerning customer would rather have all of the above at a realistic price, than cut corners and get the cheapest. You get what you pay for, after all. So, you need to make sure your customer understands WHAT they are getting for the money through our marketing, your social media, your website promotions.

So, do I need ISO certification to satisfy and exceed customer expectations?

No, you don't. What you need is a management system.

But ISO accredited businesses have more credibility with customers because being certified implies that your management system ensures your focus and ability to satisfy your customer reliably, sustainably and safely. And remember, YOU are a customer to your suppliers - do you feel more confident when dealing with an accredited supplier?