What is ISO 9001 Certification?

ISO 9001 is a standard for quality management systems (QMS) that specifies the requirements for an organization to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve its QMS. It is one of the most widely recognized and respected international standards, with over 1 million organizations certified globally.

ISO 9001 certification is a formal process whereby an independent certification body assesses an organization’s Quality Management System against the requirements of ISO 9001. This assessment involves a comprehensive review of the organization’s processes and documentation, as well as on-site audits, to ensure that the QMS is being implemented effectively.

Organizations seek ISO 9001 certification for a variety of reasons, including to demonstrate their commitment to quality, improve customer satisfaction, enhance their reputation, and increase operational efficiency. Achieving ISO 9001 certification can also lead to increased business opportunities and can be a requirement for participating in certain supply chains or government contracts.

Once an organization has achieved ISO 9001 certification, it must continue to maintain and improve its QMS in order to retain its certification status. Regular surveillance audits are conducted by the certification body to ensure that the organization continues to meet the requirements of the standard.

How to get ISO 9001 Certification?

To obtain ISO 9001 certification, an organization typically follows these steps:

1. Understand the requirements: The organization should familiarize itself with the requirements of ISO 9001 by reading the standard and understanding how it applies to their business.
2. Develop a Quality Management System: The organization should develop a QMS that meets the requirements of ISO 9001. This includes defining processes, procedures, and documentation to ensure consistent quality and continuous improvement.
3. Implement the QMS: The organization should implement its QMS across all relevant areas of the business, ensuring that all employees are trained on the requirements of ISO 9001.
4. Conduct an internal audit: The organization should conduct an internal audit of its QMS to ensure that it meets the requirements of ISO 9001 and identify any areas for improvement.
5. Select a certification body: The organization should select a certification body to conduct an external audit of its QMS. The certification body will review the organization’s processes and documentation, conduct on-site audits, and provide recommendations for improvement.
6. Conduct the external audit: The certification body will conduct an external audit of the organization’s QMS to determine whether it meets the requirements of ISO 9001.
7. Address any non-conformities: If any non-conformities are identified during the external audit, the organization must address them and provide evidence of corrective action.
8. Obtain certification: If the organization’s QMS meets the requirements of ISO 9001, the certification body will issue an ISO 9001 certificate.
9. Maintain certification: The organization must maintain its QMS and undergo regular surveillance audits by the certification body to retain its ISO 9001 certification.

It’s important to note that the process of obtaining ISO 9001 certification can take several months to a year or more, depending on the size and complexity of the organization.

ISO 9001 Certification Process

How to get the best affordable ISO 9001 Certification? – FAQ

Below are the common questions asked by our customers when we start the initial discussion. For small organizations which do not have an independent quality department, most of the time head of the department acts as the MR and may have many questions regarding the iso certification process.

ISO Certification – Common Questions