“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett.
Hansen-Rice, Inc. did things differently. We completed the two-stage auditing process and achieved ISO 9001:2015 in eight months, far ahead of the expected schedule.
How did we do it?
This article discusses quality management systems and certification. It shows that, beyond a certificate, how you implement a quality management system matters.
What is It?
For our purposes, “Quality” is:
- The degree of excellence of something as measured against things of a similar kind or to a validated and certifiable standard.
- The degree to which a thing's inherent attributes or characteristics fulfill a requirement.
Measuring and managing quality in those respects are critically important to an organization.
In practice, a Quality Management System (QMS) is a documented framework of policies, procedures, and processes that empower a company’s commitment to excellence as a business, an employer, a partner, and a service provider.
Certification is an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement under #1 and #2 above. While quality certification has high value as an indicator, it is not the goal or endpoint. Instead, it should be considered an organic, inevitable, and evolutionary validation of an organization’s culture of quality and approach to achieving excellence for its clients.
Why it Matters
Fourteen years before certification efforts began, HRI initiated a structured, process-driven QMS. We built a unique framework that adapted to emerging client needs, and then restructured and evolved our business around that ideal. Our objective then was not to achieve the ISO 9001:2015 standard, but we let those principles guide us. We were primarily driven by our clients’ need for a partner prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing landscape.
What mattered most was creating a durable and adaptable culture of quality that produced long-term, repeatable outcomes for our clients (and our employees).
Client feedback, adaptation, and continuous improvement are part of a healthy quality culture. At HRI, we learned to ask difficult questions even when our clients (or we) did not want to hear the answers. They appreciate the honesty and protection it brings.
As it turns out, our most loyal, successful clients want the same things: to be heard, to have predictable, high-quality results, and to have full accountability that protects their reputation and business interests.
Our conclusion was this: A quality management system only matters if it is more than a slogan or snapshot in time. It should represent who you always were, who you are, and who you will become. For HRI, that means:
- Client-centric: Understand the client first, then meet them at the intersection of what they need and what we do best. Be flexible.
- Take Ownership: Be accountable for the results related to the client’s needs.
- Selflessly Driven: After understanding the need, go above and beyond to meet it.
- Attend to the Details: Take care of the big AND little things. Be keen observers of cause and effect. Plan carefully and execute in ways that optimize outcomes.
- Innovate: Meet clients where they are, help them get where they want to go, and see what they can’t yet see. Either adapt to the need or find external resources that can help. Continuously adapt your business to stay competitive and provide value.
The bookends (Client-Centric and Innovation) represent the foundation of an advanced quality program. We exceeded the expectations around achieving ISO 9001:2015 because we continuously adapted and invested in our business model, personnel, tools, and methods to meet the future needs of our clients rather than demanding they adapt to us.
Our QMS took root and grew by taking a consultative approach and solving for unseen threats or uncovering yet-to-be-discovered opportunities throughout the project lifecycle. We continually updated and developed new prescriptive and documented processes to align with industry best practices and what we saw and heard from our clients.
Full Lifecycle Accountability and Assurance
To adapt, we added specialty in-house subject matter expertise to align with those industries we serve. We implemented and built tools across the business to bring assurance, accountability, and reliability for every aspect of the project lifecycle:
- Safety
- Accounting and reporting
- Communication
- Comprehensive project understanding and chartering
- Planning and development
- Design and engineering
- Procurement
- Permitting
- Construction and project execution
- Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation
Nearly all of the documented lifecycle processes were already in place for each department under our self-directed QMS before applying for certification to ISO 9001:2015. HRI took a forward-thinking approach that examined current needs, constraints, regulations, capacities, resources, and capabilities.
As we built our QMS, we tested it, proved it, and adapted to improve.
The results that really matter to us are better outcomes that continually support and encourage long-term relationships with employees and clients.
Year after year, HRI meets or exceeds our Key Quality Performance Indicator of 70% of our annual revenues coming from returning clients. In addition, we have repeatedly been named in our state's top 10 places to work. The results, bolstered by achieving ISO 9001:2015, show that our QMS purpose and approach are on track.
Conclusion
Achieving a world-class quality certification is not merely about obtaining a certificate. It is about fostering a culture of quality that is deeply rooted in employee and client outcomes.
The ultimate objective is a working Quality Management System (QMS) that adapts to emerging business needs and drives continuous improvement that benefits outcomes.
Certification to a standard should demonstrate a company’s ongoing commitment to quality leadership and performance.
This approach drives client loyalty and shows the effectiveness of a business’s quality initiatives.
Want to learn more about how we can build quality into your next project?
