The paper presents an analysis of the development process of the companies from the SME
sector based on quality management. The SME sector companies are increasingly becoming
participants of cooperation with large production and distribution companies. The implementation of logistic solutions by the SME companies constitutes the basis of this cooperation. The authors
related this stage of development to the Adizes model, the adolescence stage in particular. At this
stage, management methods and techniques implemented in the SME sector start to facilitate the
creation of cooperation network with large companies and the adaptation of their own IT systems
to the ones used by large companies. Currently, the implementation of quality standards connected
with the safety of products is the key factor of any future cooperation of the companies from the
SME sector with large companies. The authors focus on the stage of standards implementation in
SME companies as well as the consequent benefits of such implementation for these companies.