In the absence of an objective measure of profitability, respondents were asked for their subjective impressions. These companies feel that their financial gains are linked to the benefits of the quality system, singling out maintenance of quality and improvements in processes in particular. Thus, the future looks bright for ISO 9000 quality systems with regard to perceived profitability. It is something to keep an eye on. Conclusion A survey of contractors, suppliers and consultants on quality systems revealed that, after two years experience in applying the quality standard to contracts, the principal benefit is increased communication between suppliers and clients.
Companies are unanimous in affirming that there is more openness in business relations.
Communication is better, because companies have structured their work processes, in large part, with the involvement of all of their human resources. Today, they can speak of their effectiveness of an entire organization, all of whose members take part in developing a climate of trust with clients. On the other hand, many gains were only noticed after the fact, not having been among expected results. Companies were sensitized to a great degree by registrars and consultants to the need to implement their own client-oriented approach and quality policy. In fact, the optimism generated by the survey may be ephemeral, because quality systems are in their infancy and still have the momentum of the quality principles instilled during their recent implementation.