After an intensive six-month process, Quantom has successfully obtained ISO 9001 certification.
The decision to take this step was motivated by both strategic considerations and discussions with customers. “We have recognized a growing demand among our customers for ISO certification,” explains Quantom Managing Director Tom Tapken.
A tight schedule posed challenges for the team
The project required intensive work from everyone involved—in addition to contributions from other team members. “The schedule was really tight, and at times we doubted whether we could meet the deadline,” the project team reports. “Managing the extensive certification work alongside our day-to-day operations was the biggest challenge.”
Targeted training sessions were a key part of the preparation. The team completed several one-day training sessions and specialized training for internal audits. In addition, managers received an introduction to the documentation systems provided by the expert consulting partner Keil GmbH.
A key aspect of implementing ISO 9001 is the ongoing documentation and revision of existing processes. Quantom takes a pragmatic approach to this: “We want to avoid doing work twice or just to satisfy ISO requirements. ISO 9001 is meant to help us improve, not to create unnecessary paperwork.”
At the management level, new mandatory regular meetings have therefore been introduced, such as annual previews and reviews, internal and external audits, risk assessments, and self-evaluations. These structured processes lay the foundation for continuous improvement.
Certification Is Already Showing Initial Success
In sales in particular, the introduction of systematic documentation has already yielded important insights: “The first processes that we really thought through and documented showed us that internal data processing and transfer weren’t always clear before certification,” explains the Quantom team. The resulting transparency now enables targeted optimizations in other areas of the company as well.
ISO 9001 certification thus proves to be more than just a formal certification—it serves as a catalyst for continuous improvement and strategic development. Quantom makes targeted use of the standards to boost its own efficiency while simultaneously improving the quality of its work.
The certification process began in mid-January with a comprehensive kickoff meeting and concluded in July with a successfully completed audit by Global Move GmbH, which resulted in a clear recommendation for certification.
Looking back, the entire team is satisfied with the certification they achieved: “In hindsight, we’re all glad that the certification process is over and that we now have a solid foundation for future projects. But it was definitely a lot of hard work.”