It’s not easy to achieve ISO 9001, so it’s lucky not all companies need it. However, by making the effort to get certified, your certification will give your company a positive image and prove that you are trustworthy and more capable of conducting your audits than others.
How do I get ISO 9001 certified?
To achieve ISO 9000 certification, one of the most important things is your documentation. You need to prove that your Quality Management Systems (QMS) are not only in place but they are sophisticated. You must meet every requirement of each standard all of the time. There is no room for error in any of them.
You should consider using the services of an external auditing firm to help you assess whether your company has the necessary policies and procedures in place. They will be able to identify any gaps that may exist and help you to fill them. They then present you with a report, with a detailed breakdown of your entire system, which will allow you to micro manage and pinpoint areas that need improvement.
You will be given time to implement the necessary changes, before then moving on to stage two of the assessment. This is to be sure that everything is as it should be before moving on.
How long does it take to achieve ISO 9001 certification?
Certification can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months depending on the size of your organization, how well-equipped you are already, and the amount of resources available to work on your Management System. On average it takes around 4-6 months to achieve certification but, with every business being unique, it’s impossible to give a definite schedule for each individual business.
To help in speeding up the process, you should consider preparing in advance.
How hard is it to implement ISO 9001 certification?
This really depends on the size of your organisation. You will be provided with a clear guide to assist you through your business processes and documents which, if you have already been making efforts to streamline business process, will already be close to maximum efficiency anyway.
Sadly, there is no way of getting your ISO 9001 assessment done in one go, as there are two stages to it. To help prepare we recommend looking at the requirements needed to achieve certification, and implementing as much of the required processes as you can in advance – then, when your auditor arrives, you have confidence in the fact that you are prepared and ready to push forward.
Does ISO 9001 Require Regular Assessment?
Regular assessment is required, but don’t worry because it isn’t as much of a chore as it sounds. They can only improve your workplace and ensure you stick to the top standards you must have had to achieve the accreditation in the first place. It will present your commitment to improving the strengths of your security systems, further ensuring that your ISO 9001 certification is firmly in place and isn’t going anywhere. Your auditor will meet with you over agreed periods to be certain everything is as it should be.
Maintaining those high standards after having achieved the accreditation is the difficult part. Your auditor will help you to identify any areas that need improvement on their annual visit. In the process you can guarantee to your clients that you are doing your very best to offer a top-quality service.
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