What Is ISO 9001? Everything You Need To Know About Our Standards

When searching for lighting products, such as bulbs and LED strips, it can be hard to find good quality choices. You may discover one that looks perfect and cheap, according to its price tag, but this doesn't guarantee quality. In fact, often, if there are no regulations or certifications to promise quality, it's likely because it is lacking in this department. This can lead to you unknowingly wasting your money buying sub-par products, meaning you’ll then probably need to go on the search for another, better quality product.

To ensure that you're getting a top-quality product and to make the search easier for you, we can proudly say that we are an ISO 9001 UKAS certified company. This allows us to prove that we are committed to the production of high-quality products and continuous improvement of processes. In simple terms, this lets you know that when you buy from us, you're getting an outstanding product that meets the highest standards. Beyond this certification, we are dedicated to quality control and attention to detail, which is why we keep all of our manufacturing processes in-house, so we have end-to-end quality control, from enquiry through to dispatch, and after the sale.

As a company that can guarantee the quality of its products, we take great pride in being able to supply our customers with a range of excellent lighting solutions. If you have any questions about the products we offer or need help choosing one that is right for you, you can get in touch with us by calling +44 (0) 1132 799745 or emailing us at info@vision-lighting.co.uk with your message. We'll get back to you as soon as possible and do our utmost to provide you with the support you need.

What Is ISO 9001 And Why Is It Important?

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an organisation consisting of 165 national standards bodies that create consensus-based standards. International standards set out universally agreed best practices that are adopted by companies globally, through the design and implementation of management systems around the published ISO standards. The latest version of the standard is ISO 9001:2015. They outline the criteria of what a business needs in order to achieve an overall high-quality standard, and, should this standard be met, the business will receive an ISO 9001 certification following successful external audits from a UKAS accredited auditor. As stated by the organisation itself, the standard incorporates a "strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement".

The importance of this certification is strengthened by the in-depth nature of its levels that contribute to the overall achievement. These levels are known as quality management principles, and ISO lists 7 that are key. These are:

These principles form the basis of quality management and help ensure consistent quality outputs. By outlining these clear objectives, ISO can help businesses to understand their current achievements and what they can do to improve moving forward. The standards also apply directly to products produced by the company, ensuring that they are safe, reliable and of good quality. By following these levels of quality management, companies are able to improve their productivity and minimise waste from their processes.

Holding companies to such high standards also protects the customer and ensures that they get a great-quality product for the price they pay. This is essential for ensuring that the companies that cut corners and overcharge aren't able to thrive, as this can damage the respective industries. It's also crucial, in relation to the environment, that processes are completed as efficiently and with as little waste as possible. As concerns about the state of global warming continue to grow, it's important that all businesses are educated on the topic and do their part to help. With ISO 9001 certification used to reward businesses who take care in their processes, the organisation can also clamp down on those companies that are lacking in this department and ensure that changes are encouraged.

What Are The 3 Levels Of Quality?

As a company that prides itself on producing top-quality products and continuously strives to improve its service, we aim to achieve as high a standard as possible. We do this by managing regulatory requirements, which includes catering to the 3 levels of quality. The three levels are acceptable quality, appropriate quality and aspirational quality. Each level contains different criteria and allows companies to use it to measure the quality level of their output.

Acceptable quality is as it sounds - it's the bare minimum. This is basically the lowest level of quality you can produce, with anything less being considered a failure. This typically meets requirements for the product but doesn't surpass any expectations and, in simple terms, isn't sustainable. Quality is a complex topic - for example, people measure quality in many ways. A product that conforms to its design specification could be considered quality, but still fail shortly after purchase due to poor quality components. Appropriate quality is how it should be in terms of your capabilities. This level means that you are delivering on your promises and your output is at the standard it should be. However, above this, is aspirational quality and the level we aim to meet as an ambitious company. This level is when you strive to continuously surpass expectations and produce stunning products with constant improvement.

Of course, to achieve aspirational quality, there is a cost, otherwise, every company would achieve this standard. The cost is time and effort to maintain and improve the management system, coupled with the drive to succeed. With these components, your business's strategy will reap success and ensure that you reach the quality levels you aspire to. As we have experienced, the return on this investment is priceless, as not only does it allow us to provide amazing products and services, but it also makes us proud to say we have achieved this.

What Does This Mean For The Products At Vision Lighting?

This certification not only gives us confirmation that what we're doing is outstanding, but it also spurs us on to continue achieving incredibly high standards. This is reflected in our product range and services as we continue to offer only the best to our customers. Across our diverse range of LED lights, sign lights, sign frames and accessories, we have a wide range of brilliant products that we continually strive to improve upon. This also gives us a benchmark, in terms of standards, to ensure that every product we produce meets our expectations.

Our production and manufacturing processes have been monitored extremely closely to ensure that every step is not only completed correctly but also to see whether improvements can be made. By taking this stance, we can streamline our methods and increase efficiency. By doing this, we can eliminate any possibility of mistakes or lack of quality, resulting in a flawless end product. By conducting research and development, we're able to provide better products whilst maintaining competitive pricing.

As ISO requires high standards for various areas, including impact on the environment, Vision Lighting is continually working to improve its product manufacturing process. As a company that understands the part that large industries need to play in order to positively impact the environment, we’re always looking for ways to make our processes and methods greener. We're committed to the future of the planet and believe that with support from organisations, such as ISO, more companies can align with the standards required to benefit the environment.

Why You Should Choose Vision Lighting

At Vision Lighting, we operate an effective quality management system to ensure all of our products not only meet the requirements of ISO 9001, but also our own high standards. By doing this, we're able to ensure customer satisfaction and continue to produce products that surpass expectations. As a specialist sign lighting manufacturer and trade supplier of advanced LED lighting products, we aim to continually maintain exceptionally high standards.

If you're looking for top-quality lighting products, such as LED strips and floodlights, we've got you covered. Our LED lighting range also includes fairground lighting, LED bulbs and power supplies. We also provide accessories where you'll find essential components to lighting setups and where you'll be able to find any spare equipment should you need it.

If you have any questions about the products we offer or would like any further information regarding our level of standards, please don't hesitate to get in touch. To speak to a member of our friendly and dedicated customer support team directly, please call us on +44 (0) 1132 799745. Alternatively, you can email us at info@vision-lighting.co.uk with your message and we will respond to you as soon as possible to provide you with the support you need. Based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, we're able to supply customers both locally in areas such as Hull, Sheffield and York, and in cities nationwide, including London, Liverpool and Manchester.