Title: Quality management system and ISO 9001:2015: a comparison between enterprises certified and do not certify - evidence from small enterprises in an emergent country

Authors: Haroldo Macedo Fontoura; Lucas Schmidt Goecks; Bruna Strapazzon Do Couto; André Luis Korzenowski

Addresses: Deceased, formerly of: University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil ' University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil ' University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil ' University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil

Abstract: Putting quality first is critical to a company's survival. To this end, several approaches were adopted by SMEs, highlighting the adoption of a quality management system based on ISO 9000. In this sense, this article aims to analyse SMEs' differences with the quality certification implemented that they do not have. An exploratory, documentary, and descriptive characterise this study, using the case study to analyse the certifications. The research results supported the existing literature. Noting that SMEs certified by ISO 9001:2015 show improvements in quality management and competitiveness, while non-certified ones still lack standardisation. As a contribution, the research offers an understanding of the improvements associated with applying ISO 9000 quality certification concerning leadership, strategies and plans, customers, people, processes, and results in SMEs in emerging countries, demonstrating the importance of this.

Keywords: small companies; quality management; ISO 9001:2015; certification.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2022.124713

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2022 Vol.36 No.3, pp.333 - 352

Received: 01 May 2020
Accepted: 06 Jan 2021
Published online: 08 Aug 2022 *

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