ISO 9001 Certification
We will answer your questions about ISO 9001 certification & requirements, what is ISO 9001 and how your business can benefit from this quality management system and standards.
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What is ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is the worlds most popular Quality Management Standard.
First published in 1987 by the ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, the document provides globally accepted and recognized rules, guidelines and processes which companies should follow to help them improve their services to meet customer and regulatory needs.
The latest version of ISO 9001 is well suited for organizations of all sizes within all sectors. The System through multiple revision over the years, has been made to be the most flexible and versatile QMS. Million of organizations use the ISO 9001 Management System within their operations to achieve product and process excellence. Approximately 1.3 million organizations have chosen to be certified against this standards
Why Is ISO 9001 Important?
If a company adheres to the ISO 9001 standards, it will confirm they have implemented an Internationally recognized quality management system. An effective ISO 9001 utilized the PDCA Cycle (Plan-DO-Check-Act), this methodology ensures that non-conformance are eliminated as much as possible and solutions can be crafted to avert a crisis from occurring.
Why is ISO 9001 important and how does it benefit a company? Here are several reasons:
- It improves the performance and productivity of staff. Having a well-crafted QMS allows employees to become better in handling tasks, managing problems, and resolving them quickly. Communication is also improved which makes employees more productive.
- It increases customer satisfaction. If a company consistently delivers great products and services, they will result in higher customer satisfaction. An effective QMS identifies the customers’ needs which improves their experience with the products or services and boosting the company’s credibility.
- It ensures efficient operations and processes. ISO 9001 QMS provides businesses with valuable metrics to follow which defines responsibilities, delegate tasks, and flesh out processes for quality control.
- It presents better relationships with suppliers. Suppliers are more likely to work with companies with an ISO 9001 certification because it indicates the company uses Internationally recognized best practices.
Business Quality Management Systems and Standards
A Quality Management System or QMS is a set of business processes, procedures, and guidelines that companies implement in order to provide and meet customer satisfaction. This is basically the whole system that a company follows to make better decisions that will lead to continuous improvement efforts in its overall performance.
One example of a business quality management system is ISO 9001.
ISO 9001 Requirements
The requirements for ISO 9001 is a set of standards that addresses key areas or clauses in order to achieve improvement in a company’s QMS. Depending on the nature of the company, one’s QMS might be different from others. Companies are expected to comply with these requirements to keep up with international standards.
What Are The Documents Required By ISO 9001?
If a company decides to comply with this standards, here are the following clauses that have mandatory requirements:
- Quality Management System
- Leadership
- Planning
- Support
- Operation
- Performance Evaluation
- Improvement
There are also non-mandatory requirements that may be submitted to provide more in-depth documentation of the company’s processes. However, since companies run differently from one another, there are some who don’t need to present certain documents as they don’t have that particular process in their company.
ISO 9001 Certification
Customers or suppliers tend to get the products or services of a business that is reliable and delivers consistent, great results. One of the best ways to assure them is to be ISO 9001 certified as this indicates that a company or organization complies with international standards.
Who Needs ISO Certification?
Many industries worldwide apply the ISO standards in their implementations and executions to improve the quality of their services and reduce risks. Having an ISO Certification assures customers that they are getting the best quality products and services consistently.
Here are the seven industries that need ISO 9001 certification:
- Construction
- Engineering
- Health
- Manufacturing
- Technological services
- Hotels and Hospitality
- Community services
Companies in these industries that have ISO 9001 certification will remain competitive and guarantee their customers that they are reliable and trustworthy.
How Do You Become ISO Certified?
The process of being ISO certified starts with the Implementation phase. A company must decide their intention to hire a Consultant to implement their ISO 9001 Management System or use in-house expertise. Each has its advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of hiring an ISO Consultant.
1. ISO Consultants are experienced in implementing ISO Management Systems (Proper screening is important)
2. ISO Consultants understand the structure of a Management System and will focus of critical aspects of the ISO standard.
3. A contract with an ISO consultant can be time-based with measurable deliverables (3-6 months) more time is not necessary.
Disadvantages of hiring an ISO Consultant.
1. Can be expensive and not within budget
2. Choosing the wrong consultant without proper checks can result in a wastage of time and money
4. Some consultants, if on a monthly contract can unnecessarily take longer to implement a Management System for financial benefit
5, Inexperienced Consultants may implement piles of unnecessary documentation, policies and records stressing the resources of the organization
As a Certification body, for impartiality and objectivity, we do not conduct ISO 9001 Implementation or recommend any specific ISO 9001 consultant. However, we can refer you to several ISO 9001 consultants who we interacted with and have proven themselves via successful projects, some would have been past 3rd party ISO auditors. Contact us for a list of referrals in your country or region.
Upon completion of the Implementation, which involves necessary Internal Training in alignment with ISO, at least 1 Internal Audit and 1 Management Review, the company can now proceed to select a Third Party ISO Registrar and Certification body to conduct their ISO Audit.
This is a very difficult aspect as your selection of an appropriate ISO Certification body can a task in itself. Information and guidance on this on the internet is not readily available, many ISO Registrars have varying cost factors, policies, audit methodologies and Accreditation validity. Read our article here for more information on selection the most cost effective and appropriate Certification Body. | Choosing an ISO 9001 Certification Body |
Upon selecting the most suitable ISO Registrar, they will establish a timeline for conducting the Initial Audit, and once certified issue an accredited ISO Certificate. The certificate is valid for 3 years subject to annual Surveillance Audits
How Much Does ISO 9001 Certification Cost?
The cost of ISO Certification depends on several factors such as:
- The size of the organization
- The number of employees
- Location
- And many other factors
Understanding the ISO 9001 certification cost of an Audit may not be as straightforward as you think, and most registrars may incur additional costs due to location and several other factors. Unfortunately those costs are not always revealed to you
See our article in relation to all the factors involved in the cost of Certification. You can also use this information to provide an estimated guide on industry rates for ISO Audit and Certification. Download our free guide to estimate the cost to audit your organization based on industry standard rates.
The current version of the ISO 9001 standard was updated in September 2015. In this version, ISO introduced a new High Level Structure for all ISO Management Systems. This version is based on seven quality management principles (customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision-making, relationship management) and follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle that maintains and achieves control over the continuous improvement of a company’s processes and operations. It is also more flexible than other versions, allowing companies to create a QMS that suits the nature of the organization.
ISO 9001:2008 was published in November 2008 and emphasized on building a modern quality management system, management responsibility, resource management, product realization, and permanent monitoring and analysis for continual improvement of the company’s processes. There were no new requirements for this version and only strengthened the standards of the previous versions.
The ISO 9001:2000 version started to focus more on the customers’ expectations and needs, increased role of management in setting measurable objectives, measurement-monitoring activities that show the organization’s performance and identify improvements, and evaluation of training effectiveness.
The ISO 9001:1994 version emphasized quality assurance and continued to require documentation. Like the first version, companies struggled with the implementation of the requirements and it mostly hindered their improvements.
The first version of the ISO 9001 was released in 1987 and was heavily influenced by existing Defence standards. It had 20 strict requirements which emphasized more on conformity to procedures rather than the overall management.
