--- title: Importance of Certification to ISO 9001:2015 For Manufacturers description: Discover why ISO 9001:2015 certification is crucial for manufacturers, ensuring documented processes, risk management, and continuous improvement. image: https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog/epec-iso-certification.jpg --- [![Epec Engineered Technologies](https://www.epectec.com/images/logo.png "Epec Engineered Technologies")](https://www.epectec.com/) [![Epec Engineered Technologies](https://www.epectec.com/images/logo.png "Epec Engineered Technologies")](https://www.epectec.com/) - [Articles](https://www.epectec.com/articles/) - [Blog](https://blog.epectec.com/) - [Webinars](https://www.epectec.com/webinar/) - [Videos](https://www.epectec.com/videos/) - [Case Studies](https://www.epectec.com/case-studies/) - [News & Events](https://www.epectec.com/news/) - [Customer Portal](https://system.netsuite.com/c.406760/site/NSlogin.html) - [About](https://www.epectec.com/about/overview/) - Back - [Company Overview](https://www.epectec.com/about/overview/) - 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[Register](https://secure.epecpcb.com/epec/index2.jsp) - [Home](https://www.epectec.com/) - [Blog](https://blog.epectec.com/) - Importance of Certification to ISO 9001:2015 For Manufacturers Share This Page: [LinkedIn](https://blog.epectec.com/#linkedin) [X](https://blog.epectec.com/#x) [Facebook](https://blog.epectec.com/#facebook) [Email](https://blog.epectec.com/#email) # Importance of Certification to ISO 9001:2015 For Manufacturers [![Ed McMahon](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog-Authors/ed-mchmahon.jpg "Ed McMahon")](https://blog.epectec.com/author/ed-mcmahon) Written by [Ed McMahon](https://blog.epectec.com/author/ed-mcmahon) Posted on February 23, 2017 at 9:46 AM ![Ed McMahon](https://blog.epectec.com/hubfs/Blog-Authors/ed-mchmahon.jpg "Ed McMahon") - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) In 1999 there were over 1,200 active printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Today, there are fewer than 130. What has transpired at a lot of these manufacturing companies are small service businesses that act as a liaison between a manufacturer and their customers. In many instances, this is a valuable relationship; the products are low in technology and the risk is very minimal. However, why is it that we require certification to ISO standards for our manufacturing locations but not for service providers? ## How Important Is Certification If You Don't Manufacture Everything Yourself? [As a hybrid manufacturer](https://blog.epectec.com/what-it-takes-to-be-a-hybrid-supplier-in-the-electronics-industry) who manufactures product at our own facilities and with manufacturing partners, we know the value of being certified. All of our manufacturing facilities are certified to the most current standards. Additionally, our entire customer facing, engineering, NPI, and quality processes are part of the certification. The reason for that is that every process in our company needs to be documented. Followed, audited, and improved on every day. The International Organization for Standardization process helps us do this. In 2015 there was a new standard published that provides more guidance and direction when it comes to managing risk and new sections on supply chain management that will all require investment to meet the standard. In our view, the investment is worth the time and effort as it will make our systems stronger to meet our customers’ every changing demands. ![ISO Certification](https://blog.epectec.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/epec-iso-certification.jpg?width=650&name=epec-iso-certification.jpg) Now let's circle back and address the original question: Why certify manufacturing locations but not service providers? There are several factors to consider: ### Company Size Certification implementation can vary by company size. While a larger provider might benefit from being certified, a two person service provider organization working out of a garage probably won't see the same benefits. ### Investment Required The hard cost of getting certified isn’t the hard part, it’s all of the soft costs necessary to develop, implement, and then manage the process year round. ### Business Processes Everything needs to be documented, everyone needs to be trained, and the program needs to be monitored to ensure compliance. That requires commitment, investment, and dedicated personnel to manage. ### Building A Culture Of Improvement The International Organization for Standardization forces you to improve. It requires that you invest the time and effort in *true* root cause analysis in order to make your process better. Thriving companies know they need to do this to survive; a lot of industries cannot just raise their prices when costs like health care are rising every year. ## Summary There is a common theme for all of the above and that is investment and commitment. Small PCB companies focus on getting through the challenges of today, which is understandable. As a [company who has been around for over 65 years](http://www.epectec.com/anniversary/), we have built our business on how do we get better in the next 5 -10 years to be here to service our customers and be valuable partners for the long term. Certification to ISO standards for manufacturers is one of the key investments that force a business to get better every single day. In truth, [can you afford to have a supplier that doesn’t have certification](http://www.epectec.com/operations/approvals.html)? --- ## Key Takeaways - **Certification to ISO standards documents every process:** From engineering to customer-facing functions, the standard requires clear documentation, auditing, and continuous improvement across the entire organization. - **The 2015 ISO update emphasizes risk and supply chain management:** Companies must now demonstrate stronger controls in these areas, requiring added investment but strengthening long-term performance. - **Certification requires significant investment:** Beyond the upfront cost, ongoing training, monitoring, and dedicated personnel are needed to maintain compliance. - **The International Organization for Standardization builds a culture of improvement:** The process pushes companies to identify root causes and implement real corrective actions, helping them stay competitive. - **Supplier certification is critical for long-term reliability:** While small service providers may not see value in certification, manufacturers without certification represent higher risk to customers who depend on consistent quality and performance. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Topics: [Quality Solutions](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/quality-solutions), [Electronics Industry](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/electronics-industry) --- [Next](https://blog.epectec.com/how-your-organization-can-improve-the-epec-a3-process) | [All posts](https://blog.epectec.com/all) | [Previous](https://blog.epectec.com/creating-standard-pcb-fabrication-notes) [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/707152/62ddaa58-03b4-4350-9417-5d9f5d76bd78.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/707152/62ddaa58-03b4-4350-9417-5d9f5d76bd78) ## Leave a Comment --- ## Related Posts --- ### Recent Posts --- ### Posts by Topic - [Printed Circuit Boards (157)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/printed-circuit-boards) - [Product Design (132)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/product-design) - [Battery Packs (118)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/battery-packs) - [Cable Assemblies (99)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/cable-assemblies) - [Flex & Rigid-Flex PCB's (92)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/flex-rigid-flex-pcbs) - [Electronics Industry (61)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/electronics-industry) - [User Interfaces (54)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/user-interfaces) - [Quality Solutions (32)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/quality-solutions) - [Flexible Heaters (30)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/flexible-heaters) - [Events, Training, and Support (9)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/events-training-and-support) - [RF Products (7)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/rf-products) - [CNC Machining (3)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/cnc-machining) - [Fans & Motors (1)](https://blog.epectec.com/topic/fans-motors) See All --- --- ### Need Help with A Project? 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All Rights Reserved. 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