Three years ago, Brickworks earned ISO 9001:2000 registration and just a few days ago we successfully renewed it for another three years. (Audits: Always fun.)

What is ISO? I’m glad you asked! ISO is the international standard for the quality management of businesses. It applies to the creation and control of an organization’s products and services, and is put in place to ensure client expectations are met or exceeded.

It’s not easy to get ISO certified, and the task represents a company-wide commitment to our business and to our clients. ISO registration has become a cornerstone of Brickworks, as it helps us continually improve the ways we plan, document and deliver our services.

But very few marketing/communications agencies have earned this quality registration, so we are often asked why ISO?

In 2002, our board of advisors – the three wise men – suggested we pursue ISO registration. The aim was initially to aid in marketing ourselves, especially because we do a lot of work for manufacturers and automotive suppliers. Little did we know then the journey we were in for, as the company learned the benefits of ISO registration and worked hard to put it in place.

Now, after three full years of ISO registration and over five years of benefitting from its influence, we recognize ISO as the catalyst that helped us improve our service delivery and make us more efficient overall. As a company, we better understand our strengths and weaknesses, and we’re able to focus on what we’re best at. We’ve been able to streamline hiring and orienting new employees, and standardize the way we organize, plan and communicate projects.

We’re also better organized to deliver targeted results that meet our clients’ objectives. Through the ISO registration process, we have honed our ability to define and document processes and procedures to strategically help our clients through reorgs and acquisitions. In the end, the most important result of our adoption of ISO has been the benefits to our clients – efficiently delivered, well-structured, strategic communications services.

Brickworks’ ongoing commitment to ISO 9001:2000 is part of our way of life. We’ve embraced the benefits of ISO, moving from a marketing tool to an integral part of the fabric of the company.