Risk-based thinking is a key component of growth for businesses. It helps to ensure continuity and boosts long-term business health and stability. ISO 9001 standards can help to further risk thinking in several different ways, thanks to the criteria for certification in the quality management system, or QMS. If you’re wondering how ISO 9001 certification can help you grow in your risk-based thinking, here is what you need to know.
Risk-Based Thinking Basics
As the name suggests, risk-based thinking embeds risk management into operations on a systemic level. Protocols and systems are in place for identifying and managing potential risks in every stage of operations, and contingency plans are in place to ensure continuity even in the face of challenges. Risk-based thinking involves considering potential risks and staying ahead of them instead of reacting to them as they occur.
ISO 9001 and Risk-Based Thinking
There are six areas in which ISO 9001 promotes risk-based thinking, including:
- Leadership
- Context
- Operations
- Planning
- Monitoring
- Improvement
A key part of ISO 9001 quality management standards is managing and planning for risks that businesses may face and developing processes to mitigate those risks. Becoming certified in ISO 9001 will force your company to develop risk-based thinking strategies and incorporate it into your processes, so it becomes part of how you approach everything in your organization.
Risk-Based Thinking and Leadership
According to ISO 9001, the sole responsibility for all protocols of the standard rests with the leadership team. Among the responsibilities of leadership is making sure that all processes are working as expected and that the results are up to expectations. This requirement means that the leadership team has to implement risk-based thinking in their processes and embed them through all parts of the organization. As a result, this kind of thinking will filter down through all teams and employees.
Can ISO 9001 certification help your business? A free consultation with Trident Quality Management Solutions will show you how you could benefit from adopting these international standardization procedures. Call us at (520) 314-4344 to learn more.