Apex Dynamics BV achieves ISO 9001 certification on road to further professionalization

How do we approach further professionalization? This has been one of the key questions Stef van Oss has addressed since his appointment at Apex Dynamics BV in January 2023. Meanwhile, Apex Dynamics BV successfully went through the process of obtaining ISO 9001 certification with determination. In this article, Stef shares his insights on why this is so crucial for the team and how the certification process went.

What does ISO 9001 certification entail?

"It is a standard that sets requirements for our quality management system. The ISO 9001 certification shows that the daily processes we operate are well established and that our team has mastered these processes. This ensures that our operations are carried out correctly and consistently." Stef has worked closely with his colleagues and an external consultant over the past few months to achieve certification, and so he is the perfect person to take us through the process and the drivers of Apex Dynamics BV.

Apex Dynamics; on the way to further professionalization

Stef emphasizes that customers do not specifically ask for ISO 9001 certification. Nevertheless, Apex Dynamics BV chose to go through this process. "We are striving for further professionalization, this was one of my assignments at the start of 2023. And what could be better than to thoroughly analyze your organization and test all processes against an internationally recognized standard?"

The need for professionalization arose in part from the steady growth of recent years. While this is primarily an internal matter, it also contributes to more stability externally. "By thoroughly evaluating and recording all processes, we are sharpening ourselves as a team and have developed a clear vision for the future as an organization. An important part of the ISO standard is the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) method, which allows us to improve our working methods, performance and organization step by step."

And what if growth continues? Stef created a five-year plan to answer that question, taking into account issues such as personnel, liquidity, purchasing and warehousing. "In this plan, we found no major obstacles, which is reassuring. Had we discovered potential problems, we could have anticipated them well in advance. A five-year plan offers no guarantees, but no one can predict the future."

The process to ISO certification

Together with an outside consultant, Stef worked through the process. Thanks to weekly appointments and the involvement of the entire team, Apex Dynamics BV to complete the certification process within 10 months. "Of course we benefit from being a compact team and being able to move quickly. But this also brings challenges, because for certification you not only have to describe the processes, but also draw up job profiles and record the handling of things like training. In our daily practice, this is less of an issue, precisely because we are a small and close-knit team in which everyone is involved in almost every process."

Despite the certification requirements, it is also important to stay true to yourself. Apex Dynamics For example, BV has chosen not to have extensive job descriptions, but rather to emphasize what competencies are essential within the team.

After establishing the processes with the consultant, an application follows, in the case of Apex Dynamics at SGS, because this organization is already linked to the plant of APEX DYNAMICS Inc. in Taiwan. "During an introduction, you have to demonstrate that you are ready for the audit. The auditor then already gives some feedback and asks questions. A month later comes the audit, which looks at whether the processes are actually carried out as defined and whether they meet the standards."

Successfully has Apex Dynamics achieved the ISO 9001 certification! But this is only the beginning. From now on Apex Dynamics BV conduct annual internal audits to demonstrate continuous monitoring and, more importantly, improvement of processes. This will mainly take place in a periodic quality meeting, where every three years all processes within the organization are thoroughly assessed. Through external audits, SGS will continue to verify that Apex Dynamics BV still meets the standards to maintain certification.