Why quality management is needed right now

Especially in economically difficult times, standards, norms, and certifications are often perceived as bureaucratic hurdles. Right on time for the publication of the revised ISO 9001:2026, we explain why the opposite is true: quality management is decisive for success and even influences far more than the success of individual companies.

In our dynamic times, quality management has become a genuine survival factor. Standards such as the one for quality management ensure clear processes and structures, and thus the quality of products and services within a company. That means more efficiency, fewer errors, and continuous improvement. A closer look at the impact of quality management shows the following:

1. Costs become the decisive lever

When revenues stagnate or decline, inefficiency often becomes visible for the first time. Error costs, rework, and complaints that companies could afford in good times now effectively eat into profit. Quality management helps uncover hidden costs, reduce them, and address the root cause of a problem before errors have a long-term negative impact.

2. Customers become more selective

In critical times, customers cut budgets and scrutinize their suppliers more closely. Errors are tolerated less, and the risk of losing an order to faster or cheaper competitors increases. This is exactly when investments are reviewed even more strictly and only made when quality is convincing. Retaining existing customers while simultaneously winning new ones becomes all the more important — and quality is the strongest lever for customer loyalty here as well.

3. Efficiency instead of growth as an innovation driver

Where growth stalls, companies focus on improving existing processes, products, and services rather than opening up new markets. Quality management methods — from Kaizen to Lean and Six Sigma — are designed precisely for this and deliver innovation through optimization rather than expansion. Reducing errors and driving improvement also increases trust among customers, partners, and other stakeholders.

ISO 9001 has a decisive influence on GDP

A recent study also shows that quality management, in the form of ISO 9001 certification, has a direct impact on economic benefit — namely on gross domestic product (GDP). The results show that standards are significantly correlated with countries' GDP. Participation in the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), as an indicator of accreditation, also plays a decisive role for a country's GDP. You can find the study directly here.

A 10% increase in the stock of standards would be associated with an increase in GDP of about 0.18%. Conversely, the authors estimate that a hypothetical elimination of the entire stock of standards would lead to a GDP loss of 1.8%.