Reasons for decertification of ISO 9001. An empirical study

Abstract

In the past few years, and in a number of countries, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of organizations withdrawing from the Quality Management System standard iso 9001. Hence the need to analyze this phenomenon of decertification and to explain not only the extent to which it is taking place but also why companies are taking such decision. This study analyzes the reasons for withdrawing from ISO 9001 using data obtained from quality managers at 130 Polish organizations which opted out of certification in 2012 and 2013. The data shows that the most important reasons for withdrawal were related to internal factors, such as financial problems within the organizations, a perceived lack of added value from certification, and organizational changes (such as internal restructuring). There were also external factors: customer-driven reasons for the decision to withdraw were also given. Using this data we provide a classification of the reasons for decertification, which can shed light on the effectiveness of activities related to qms implementation, certification and cancellation. We believe this will be of interest to managers of organizations and certification bodies, as well as researchers. The paper provides the potential basis for a quality management strategy directed towards identifying and dealing with the costs and problems that ISO 9001 can generate for companies.

Current Opinions on ISO 9001 Quality Management System: Evidence from Poland

“…Average evaluation of the benefits connected with ISO 9001quality management system (the respondents graded every benefit in 1-7 scale). The image of ISO 9001 received from the results of the research does not confirm appearing in professional literature opinions that the attractiveness of the quality management system has recently diminished [16] or that in the small and medium enterprises it has a limited usefulness [11].…”

Why firms lose their ISO 9001 certification: Evidence from Portugal

“…Renewal costs are higher than the benefits 3. Belief that the certification body will not renew the certificate Kafel & Nowicki (2014), Simon & Kafel (2018) 1. Financial problems within the organization combined with recertification cost 2.…”

“…The authors perform an analysis of seven case studies and end up concluding that cost considerations and the absence of benefits are the two main reasons for ISO 9001 withdrawal. In a subsequent study, Simon & Kafel (2018) use data from 130 companies that voluntarily abandoned ISO 9001, and are able to identify a larger list of possible reasons for withdrawal. Yet, their conclusions suggest that the main motivations for decertification are, in fact, similar to those uncovered in the 2014 study.…”

¿Son los establecimientos hoteleros y de restauración fieles a las certificaciones de los sistemas de gestión de calidad?

“…Los motivos de que la ISO 9001 haya dejado atrás la fase de crecimiento puede estar en el abandono de las certificaciones, pero también en las barreras de entrada o en la reducción del atractivo para las restantes empresas no certificadas (Zimon y Dellana, 2019;Simon y Kafel, 2018;Cândido et al, 2019;Kafel y Simon, 2017;Sansalvador y Brotins, 2015). Profundizando en ese ámbito, otros trabajos analizan el impacto que tienen sobre las empresas la cancelación de esta certificación (Alič, 2014;Cândido et al 2016).…”