Recertification according to ISO 9001:2015

The current certification confirms that exact! is in an excellent position to successfully provide services and expertise for customer projects. exact!’s quality management has been certified in accordance with the new ISO 9001:2015 standard since July 2016. Defined processes in project management and translation as well as the quality-oriented mindset of the team had been recognised previously by the ISO certification. How did we prepare for the current certification and why is quality management such an important topic for us?

At exact!, we translate texts for our customers in a clear and reliable manner. Our team combines service competency and technical expertise, which allows us to guarantee a high level of quality of our translation products. The satisfaction of our customers and employees is our top priority. To achieve these objectives, we have implemented a customised QM system. We believe that the DIN EN ISO9001 standard is ideal for implementing our QM system. In November 2015 , the major revision of ISO 9001 was published. The main focus of the standard, which sets out requirements for quality management systems, is still process orientation. Another key topic is risk-based thinking. Here, the aim is to identify risks to the company that could hinder their value-adding processes and to anticipate and respond to uncertainties. An important aspect in this context is managing internal resources, such as the knowledge of employees. Companies must therefore determine, acquire and maintain the knowledge that they require in order to perform their processes.

Reinhild Möller, our QM manager at exact!, performed the groundwork for our recertification in line with the current ISO 9001:2015 standard. A strategy for compliance with the new requirements was planned and implemented together with managing director Martin Gundlach. Exchanging ideas with the individual process owners within the company was an important aspect for the QM team. There was an open dialogue with regard to internal work processes and potential adjustments and improvements to the business processes – a strength of the exact! team. In regular team meetings, all employees were provided with updates regarding the audit preparations. This active communication and conscientious approach to knowledge and experience sets the exact! team apart. So knowledge management is nothing new to exact!, it has always been part of our corporate culture. We also took a thorough look at the topic of “risk-based thinking”. Each sub-process of our translation has been analysed according to the IPO model: What input does a process require, how is processing carried out and what is the resulting output from the process? The risks and opportunities relating to the various sub-processes were also identified and evaluated in a subsequent SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, risks).

Following the re-audit, the external auditor praised our extensive analysis and, in particular, specific classification of the risks, as well as the effective implementation and diligent documentation of the internal audits by our QM manager.

You can find out more about our translation services at: www.exact-gmbh.com/services. Give us a try! We look forward to hearing from you: Tel. +49 (0)621 12068-11.