← All case studies CASE STUDY 03 · QUALITY & PROCESS

ISO 9001 & 21001: bringing one university through certification

Standardizing how work gets done across 15 units, 6 faculties, and 47 study programs, then winning over the people who run it to change along with it.

RoleAssociate ISO Consultant
TeamWith the Lead Consultant
TimelineFeb 2024 – Jun 2025
StandardsISO 9001:2015 · 21001:2018
Problem

Work processes across units weren't standardized, there was no master document list, and no internal audit mechanism existed.

What I did

Worked with the team to build 500+ SOPs through a PDCA cycle, ran internal audits, and faced resistance to change.

Result

The university passed ISO 9001 & 21001 certification, and non-conformance dropped 30% between the first audit and the next.

01Context

UIN Raden Intan Lampung wanted to implement an integrated Quality Management System: ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 21001 (educational organizations). The scope was large — 15 units, 6 faculties, and 47 study programs. I joined as an Associate Consultant under the Lead Consultant from TMIN Consulting.

02Problem

03Approach: PDCA

PPlanMapped the rectorate's business process and built academic workflows together with lecturers.
DDoBuilt and documented 500+ SOPs along with the master document list.
CCheckBuilt an integrated internal audit SOP, then ran the internal audits.
AActBuilt a risk register (issues, opportunities, risks) and followed up on audit findings.
Business process EOMS x QMS
Business process (Plan)
Academic workflow
Academic workflow (Plan)
Master document list SOP
Master list of 500+ SOPs (Do)
Internal audit SOP
Internal audit SOP (Check)

04Challenge: resistance to change

The biggest challenge wasn't the documents — it was the people. Many staff and lecturers struggled to accept a new system after years of working the old way. We tackled it on four fronts:

  1. Socialization & training for every unit, so everyone understood why the change was necessary.
  2. Grounded language. Rigid ISO clauses were translated into everyday work examples.
  3. Co-creation. SOPs were drafted together with staff from each unit, not handed down finished.
  4. One-on-one support for the units struggling most, until they were ready to be audited.

05Project management

With dozens of units moving at once, progress was tracked via a Work Breakdown Structure and a readiness checklist per unit, so the team could see which units were ready for audit and which needed extra support.

Risk register
Risk register (Act)
Work breakdown structure and readiness checklist
WBS & readiness checklist

06Results

07Why this is relevant to product management

The job is fundamentally the same: understanding the needs of many stakeholders, translating technical language into user language, involving users in designing the solution, then measuring the results. The difference is that what I built here was a work system, not an app.