Jumping Through Hoops

A small startup had a great product, a really creative team, and a number of small sales under their belts. Then, a BIG customer came along, one that would BREAK OPEN THE MARKET! The only problem was...

The BIG customer needed the startup to have a Quality Management System (ie. like ISO 9001-2008) to qualify as a supplier. The startup scrambled to find someone who could fix the problem in a hurry and get them an ISO registration. All they wanted to do was "jump through the hoop," to get the sale. "Our product is great; it's better and cheaper than the competition; what more do they want?"

The customer wants the product, true, but a sophisticated customer wants more than that. They want confidence in the supplier's records management and documentation control; they want established procedures and reilable and robust quality control; they want to know that you've designed your business, you've planned out your processes, and you work according to your plans. Sure they're just buying the product, but they have a strong interest in the reliability of your company as a whole too.

So, don't waste your time doing the minimum required to jump through a hoop. Embrace the requirement and make your company better, more capable, more reliable. Everybody wins.