Any tender will be measured on price and on various aspects of service delivery and quality, so it is easy to envisage the positive impact that having ISO 9001 can have on your business’ chances to win a tender.
ISO 9001 is the international standard for a quality management system (“QMS”) to demonstrate your ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements and to demonstrate continuous improvement.
So here’s a few reasons why & how your business can use ISO 9001 compliance to leverage as much benefit as possible when participating in a tender.
Getting Past That First Hurdle
Very often Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) are used to shortlist suppliers invited to tender. The vast majority of PQQs will ask for ISO 9001 certification.
Without ISO 9001 certification, you’re likely to have to work twice as hard as your accredited competitors in the early stage of the bid to prove that your processes are of equal calibre.
Increase Client Confidence
Put yourself in your potential client’s shoes. ISO 9001 helps you to meet regulatory requirements, improve customer satisfaction, increase efficiency, and produce a “right first time” culture with user feedback and evaluation ensuring continual improvement.
Certification will encourage confidence because the Standard demonstrates an ability to consistently provide products and services that meet expectations.
With ISO 9001 certification, your business can confidently compete for both public and private contracts with the internationally recognised standard demonstrating that your organisation continues to meet a high level of quality.
Use It To Sell Yourself
Ensure you mention your ISO 9001 accreditation in the appropriate section. This is obvious, but can be overlooked. Look to also provide your ISO 9001 certification copy and registration number as “accompanying information” with the tender. If you do not provide evidence of your accreditation, it is possible that your bid could be passed over, as the project owner may well not have time to ask you to provide proof if competitors have.
Stating that you’re certified is one thing, but also look to advertise the advantages of being ISO 9001 certified. Put yourself in the bid reader’s shoes and emphasise how important the certification is.
It is possible that they are not familiar with the contents of the standard, so don’t assume that simply stating that you are ISO 9001 certified will suffice. Enhance your tender by including a succinct and accurate appraisal of what your compliance will guarantee if your bid is successful.
ISO 9001 gives a clear competitive advantage to companies throughout the business world. Larger competitors will almost certainly hold ISO 9001 certification. Therefore, being certified yourself can level the playing field considerably. ISO 9001 is recognised all over the world. The Standard provides a common, corporate language and can be make or break in a bidding war.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. If you would like any more information on this or any other of the ISO’s, please get in contact with us.
Comments