ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR BULGARIAN ENTERPRISES FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION AND CERTIFICATION OF A QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Lyubka M. Ilieva
Pages: 1-21
ABSTRACT - Defining and proving the economic benefits of implementing and maintaining a Quality Management System (QMS) in a theoretical and applied aspect is provoked by the need for Bulgarian enterprises to achieve specific competitive advantages. At present, no research has been carried out involving companies from different industries, including the introduction and maintenance of a quality management system in order to derive the main economic benefits they receive from it. The subject of the study is the economic benefits of the implementation of the QMS and the ISO 9001 certification of the Bulgarian enterprises.
The main objective of the research is on the basis of a survey of the ISO 9001 certified Bulgarian enterprises to point to the basic economic benefits for enterprises from the introduction of a quality management system.
Proving it shows that quality management is not an end in itself but brings real economic outcomes. In turn, the outlined economic suitability for business will support a part of it that has doubts about the effectiveness of ISO 9001 implementation and certification. The results of the survey respond to business questions - is the implementation of the QMS relevant and in what ways expresses the effect of this process.
Keywords: Economic Benefits, Quality Management System, Standard, Certification, ISO 9001