How Much Does ISO 9001 Certification Cost

How Much Does ISO 9001 Certification Cost?

How Much Does ISO 9001 Certification Cost?  This is something that many business owners ask.  It is important, however, it is hard to determine what the cost is as a blanket cost.  This is because remember, there are businesses of all sizes and designs.  There isn’t a one size fits all, meaning it is impossible to give a blanket quote.  You will need to have a custom quote done with a professional to really understand how many hours will be invested as well as how much this might cost you.

When you are beginning to implement ISO 9001, there will be all kinds of things to take into consideration. However, one of them, you should consider the costs that will go into maintaining the certification as well.  You will get more business after having a certification.  It will be easier to get business with your ISO 9001 certifications because there are many companies that will only work with like companies. 

Cost of Company time for ISO 9001 Certification

Company time is another asset that you use up with an implementation of ISO 9001.  This is a hidden cost that businesses need to be made aware of.  Management processes are a big part of the ISO 9001 implementation.  This is because ISO 9001 implements standards in risk management, management processes such as planning, engagement of people, and more.  

Management only has so much time.  They will need time to do their jobs and have enough free time to work on the Quality Management System.  You will need them to help you with filling out the tasks that they do.  However, you can spare their time by not using them to determine what is going to be required and what is not.  That should be done by the person that is leading your team’s efforts.

To determine who to use to help you with your ISO 9001 searches, you need to get a couple of quotes from a reliable accredited registrar.  Typically they have a questionnaire that you will need to fill out.  We would recommend that you sit down and fill that out with the team that you will be putting in place for implementation. 

Be open to your staff.

While you are doing this, you should also prepare everyone in your company.  Tell them what is to come.  Explain to them how this will make business better but also their lives better.  This is important. You need the entire team on board, especially if you have more than one location.  There will be huge amounts of coordination.  The more that management is on board, the better and more smoothly your implementation will go.  In most industries, the management team would know what ISO 9001 is.  However, tell them what it will do for them.  Things such as leave more time to do other things and not have to explain processes.  Once the process is written out, they can simply hand the new employee the book.  This makes training so much easier on your management.

If you are in an industry that sells physical parts, then you will have less fall out.  This improved quality improves the conversations that your management team will have with customers.  Customers will be happier with your products or services and tend to offer more work based on their experience.  ISO 9001 has a plethora of benefits for any company.

Determining the right Register for your company.

Once you have chosen your register, you should get something that tells you the number of audit days, the accreditation and administrative registrar’s fee, and the travel and accommodation fees for the registrar.  Be sure that these fees are included as you want to compare apples to apples.  Similar to what you would do if you were looking at building an addition to your home.  You want to ensure all the components are included and spelled out for you so that you can choose confidently.  

Also, if you are looking for registrars, be sure to take some time to look at their online presence.  Check out what their online reputation is and what types of reviews they have.  This is a rather large investment, so taking your time to find the right fit is important.

There is a certification audit that you will have to endure to get certified.  This is broken up into stage 1 and stage 2.  In stage 1 you simply are stating that you are ready for a full audit.  This means that you have the company set up and good to go, to the best of your knowledge.  Stage 2 confirms that you have passed, or will give you some non-conformances that will need to be addressed.  Getting your certification at this point would be determined on what level those non-conformities are.  They could approve quickly or you could see a delay.