There is a wide range of quality standards that entrepreneurs are supposed to act by, and they are believed to be important for any company that pays increased attention to its social image. Nowadays, ISO 9000 Quality Management System remains one of the most famous sets of standards used all over the world, and it is important to study the way that it can influence customer satisfaction. A few studies chosen for the given review indicate that there is an obvious link between the implementation of ISO 9000 standards and the level of customer satisfaction in different spheres of business.
The topic of ISO 9000 implementation and the changing performance of companies was studied by Phan et al. (2016) who have conducted a study to compare the situation and performance indicators before and after implementation of the discussed standards. As it is clear from their research which was based on the example of more than one hundred organizations operating in Vietnam, there is a wide range of factors that seem to change due to the implementation of this set of standards. In general, as stated by the authors of the article, the use of ISO 9000 standards helps to improve the performance of a company in different spheres.
Having analyzed the results of a survey that was conducted five years ago, the authors concluded that ISO implementation could bring both external and internal benefits. Customer satisfaction belongs to the number of external factors that can be improved by companies that decide to implement ISO 9000 principles as the authors state that all concepts touched upon the ISO standards have a positive relationship with customer satisfaction.
The ISO 9000 standards and their role in improving customer satisfaction have also been studied by Sleilati and Aubert (2016). Having conducted a study focusing on the B2B industry, the authors concluded that the implementation of ISO 9000 standards was beneficial for organizations of any size. More than that, the authors found the link between the use of these standards and customer satisfaction which seemed to increase in those firms using ISO 9000.
About the particular improvements related to customers’ perceptions, the authors state that customer satisfaction increases due to significant quality improvements caused by ISO Quality Management System. Therefore, both studies highlight the possibility of improving customer satisfaction and attracting new clients during the use of ISO 9000.
The impact that ISO 9000 has on many factors related to the business performance of companies in India and the United States was also studied by Kartha (2016). The author of the article emphasizes similarities and differences associated with the effects of ISO 9000 implementation in both countries. According to the author, ISO certification involves numerous advantages for companies all over the world because organizations meeting ISO 9000 requirements are usually seen as more reliable.
Therefore, the implementation of ISO 9000 is closely associated with increased customer satisfaction because clients are likely to conclude a company based not only on their personal experience but also on its external image.
In the end, the existence of the positive relationship between ISO 9000 standards and customer satisfaction is confirmed by all authors chosen for the review. Therefore, the implementation of this set of standards can be seen as another factor in improving the company’s reputation among customers.
Reference List
Kartha, CP 2016, ‘On the impact of ISO 9000 certification on organisations: a comparative study’, Journal for Global Business Advancement, vol. 9, no.4, pp. 402-411. Web.
Phan, AC, Nguyen, MH, Luong, HVM & Matsui, Y 2016, ‘ISO 9000 implementation and performance: empirical evidence from Vietnamese companies’, International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 53-77. Web.
Sleilati, E & Aubert, B 2016, ‘The impact of ISO 9000 on customer perceived value’, Question(s) de Management, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 119-133. Web.