As cannabis businesses mature in the various national and world markets, they should implement quality management systems (QMSs) to increase their chances of success. With such systems in place, these businesses increase their likelihood of producing predictable, reliable, and desirable products and/or services.
A QMS is a set of principles and procedures that govern the operations of a business, helping ensure the business consistently produces high-quality results, be it a service or product-oriented organization.
However, just because a canna-business has a QMS in place doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an effective QMS. Enter ISO 9001:2015, which is an internationally recognized and valued, customer-focused standard of QMS used in practically every industry around the globe.
Whether we’re talking about a cultivation operation or an extraction company, any business in the cannabis industry can seek to have its QMS become IS0 9001:2015 certified. Doing so not only results in superior business performance but also tells a business’ clients and customers that the business is a quality company.
ISO 9001:2015 stipulations are not overly specific because they are designed to be applicable to practically any business model across all industries. One major emphasis of the certification is quality control. Most businesses have methods of implementing and documenting quality control efforts. ISO 9001:2015 establishes standards to review and judge these methods for their adequacy and consistency of use. In cannabis, this includes production, handling, packaging, and testing procedures for all products produced by a business as well as the consistent production of traceable documentation attesting to these procedures.
Additionally, ISO 9001:2015 focuses heavily on a business’ efforts to continually improve itself. This requires that a company always have specific objectives to pursue. And once these objectives are met, new ones are to be set. As with quality control efforts, there needs to be traceable documentation that attests to these goals.
ISO 9001:2015 certification is a sign that a business is set up to deliver high quality services and/or products. As the cannabis industry evolves, it is important that any serious player seek this level of certification, a move which will only yield better business results and more satisfied customers.
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