ISO 9001:2015 certification is one of the most coveted certification among organizations in different industry sectors.
Implementing a quality management system is what ISO 9001:2015 emphasizes on. Many companies see this as an opportunity to enhance their business process and improve their product quality.
Scope of ISO 9001 Certification Process
1. Quality Management System
QMS certification provides guidance regarding the development of a robust Quality Management System (QMS). The quality manual identifies the best practices and steps that a company must take to achieve consistency in the product & Service quality.
The ISO 9001 certification process could fulfill the company’s expectations ranging from customer satisfaction, brand reputation build-up, to profit generation.
2. Employee Training
Training of the employees is an important aspect of the certification process. As the employees must be aware of the changes to be brought in the business process and operations.
Depending on the job roles, the quality management standard and certification guidelines must be made known to the employees.
3. Implementation of QMS
Current business operations must be consistent with the quality best practices when an organization is planning to be certified on the ISO 9001 .
ISO Consultants can provide you with the implementation techniques and the required corrective actions. The system will be implemented in the organization along with the approval from the top management and business units.
4. Internal Audits and Certification
The last step in the certification process is the internal audit, where an internal auditor will need to audit the quality management system (QMS). Consequently, the certification body will conduct a final audit to issue the ISO certificate.
A consultant plays a major role in the success of certification and implementation processes. An experienced ISO consultant will be able to direct you successfully through the certification process, conduct an internal audit, coordinate with the certification body for the final audit, and help you in taking the certificate.
5 Steps for ISO 9001 Certification
To implement the ISO 9001:2015 seamlessly, a 5-step process is followed by your consultant to help in achieving high quality certification in the fastest time possible.
1. Gap Analysis
The consultant will conduct a gap analysis to assess the difference between the current business processes and the best practices specified by the ISO standard. The required corrective actions and process improvements will be noted, and the changes that need to be incorporated and the new quality management system (QMS) is to be implemented in the organization.
2. Quality Manual Documentation
The Quality Manual must contain information related to the workflow and operational processes of the organization. All the suggested corrective actions must be documented along with the quality policies and business operational improvements.
The Quality Manual will act as a reference guide for the employees to take desired actions to ensure that the quality is maintained throughout the organization at all times.
3. Implementation of the Quality Management System
After documenting the quality manual and the necessary corrective actions, the changes have to be implemented in the organization. At this point, employee participation is very crucial; only if continuous improvement is practiced and best practices are welcomed by the employees, can the ISO 9001 certificate and Quality Management system (QMS) deliver the desired results.
4. Internal Audit
Once the Quality Management System (QMS) is in place, the top management, the employees, and the ISO consultant are required to review the business process operations, conduct an internal audit and prepare the reports.
The reports and the manuals need to be shared with the external certification body who will audit the process and issue the ISO certificate.
5. Certification
The final step is the issuance of the certificate. Once the certification body conducts the audit and reviews the Quality Management System (QMS), the certificate will be issued if the assessment results are accepted.
The ISO 9001 certificate is valid for three years subject to an annual audit every year. The Certification Body will conduct annual surveillance audits to ensure that the organization still meets the requirements of the standard.
How UCS Will Assist You in The ISO 9001 Certification Process?
Our ISO consultants will provide you with the latest best practices in the quality management standard.
We will guide you through the implementation of the ISO 9001:2015 and conduct internal audits to develop corrective actions.
UCS also works with internationally Accredited ISO Certification Body to issue your ISO certificate. Our certification comes with a 100% ISO compliant on best practices and implementation strategies at a reasonable rate and in the shortest possible time.
To learn more, connect with us through our website or through email.