ISO 9001, an international standard, is used to define a quality management program (QMS). It describes various criteria or standards that can be used to establish quality management principles. They include: focusing on the client, optimizing leadership, management within the organization and improving and fine-tuning the internal processes.
Let’s examine each component of ISO 9001 certification.
ISO
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an international body that sets standards. It’s based out of Geneva, Switzerland. It includes representatives of many standard-setting bodies, including industrial and commercial organizations.
It is basically responsible for the definition and implementation of all standards.
The ISO itself does not actually certify anything. Certifications are performed by third-party organisations.
9001
The standard’s identifier can be found in the number after ISO. ISO 9001 is the most widely recognized ISO standard. It is the defining criteria for quality management systems.
ISO 9001 belongs to the ISO 9000 group. All ISO 9000 standards concern quality management.
This standard is meant to assist organizations in meeting their customers’ demands more efficiently and effectively.
ISO 9001 has been certified by at least 1,000,000 organizations and businesses in over 170+ countries.
Certification
ISO 9001 is the only standard that can be certified under the 9000 umbrella. The certification is not a requirement. Organizations can still apply the principles and ISO 9001 guidelines informally without getting certified.
Technically, only organizations “can get certified”. Individuals can, however, become Certified Lead Auditors or Registers in order to audit companies.
Certification covers most of the organization. However, certification can be focused on specific areas or departments to enhance performance.
Here’s a brief overview of the most important details about ISO 9001:
ISO 9001 refers to an international standard for quality management systems (QMS).
ISO 9001 is a part of the wider ISO 9000 family.
ISO 9001 is only standard that can get certified. There is no ISO Certification.
ISO 9001 certification cannot be obtained by individuals. Certification is granted to organizations and companies.
Individuals can be certified as an ISO 9001 Certified lead auditor, which allows them audit other companies.
It does not matter how large the organization is. It could be just one person or 100,000.
ISO 9001 is a universal standard for quality assurance, regardless of industry.
ISO 9001 does not focus on products but rather processes. It does not aim to establish product quality.
What does ISO 9001 certification entail
ISO 9001 certified companies have successfully implemented a quality system that meets all requirements set forth in the ISO 9001 standard.
A part of ISO 9001 certification includes identifying and addressing areas that need improvement. ISO 9001 certified organizations can be expected to supply products and/or service that meets strict quality management standards.
How to get ISO 9001 certification – What is a QMS?
The ISO 9001 standard places the emphasis on quality management systems. At its simplest, a quality system is a set guidelines for standard operating procedure that can be used by you to measure the “quality of different aspects of your business.
It’s a collection or processes and documented procedures which define how you want to deliver your product/service to customers. It’s similar to a system for business processes management, with a greater emphasis on quality control.
Each QMS is unique, so each one should be tailored to the company’s needs. The ISO 9001 (and the ISO 9000 standard) provide guidelines for designing and implementing a successful QMS.
By breaking down a QMS into its core elements or stages, you can easily understand it.
Plan
Do
Take a look
Get involved
A QMS by itself won’t make you ISO 9001 Certified, but it’s the basis of the whole certification.
The 9000 family also includes standards for 9001 that can be used to support the implementation and maintenance of a quality management plan.
ISO 9000 defines terms and principles that inform ISO 9001.
ISO 9004 is designed for improving the success rate of QMSs as defined by 9001.
Check out our article on quality management system for more information.
Why ISO 9001 is important
An internationally recognized symbol for quality assurance and prestige is being certified to ISO 9001. Organizations certified are believed to have developed a consistent system that ensures customer satisfaction and continuous improvements.
Benefits of ISO 9001 certification
ISO 9001 certification offers many benefits. Below I have listed the top benefits.
How ISO 9001 certification will benefit your company:
Increased market share and profit potential
More efficient resource management saves time
Recurring issues and anomalies are reduced or eliminated
Image and credibility of brand improved
With process automation and process integration, manual labor is significantly reduced
The use of data and evidence in decision-making can improve the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness.
ISO 9001 focuses on both individual processes as well how they interact with one another. By looking at how your business processes interact with each other in the context a QMS, it is possible to identify areas for optimization and improvement.
You must utilize data and evidence in order to reach your business goals. Also, it is crucial to create enough documentation and collect adequate reports so that you have sufficient data to make decisions. This is something quality management systems are great at and can provide a framework for documenting all your business’ processes.
How ISO 9001 certification will benefit your customers
You can be trusted to provide high-quality, reliable service
ISO 9001’s primary focus is customer satisfaction
Customer feedback can easily and quickly be acted on
Pre-emptive Planning means that issues can be addressed before they cause trouble for your customers
Focusing on customer satisfaction through identifying their goals and needs is one of the main factors that drive the implementation quality management systems. An increase in customer satisfaction will lead to more business.
A customer will place more trust in you if they can see that your company has met the highest quality standards as required by ISO 9001 certification.
How ISO 9001 certification can benefit your employees
Job security is enhanced by improved business performance.
Employees report higher job satisfaction levels and workplace happiness because their roles (what do you do and how do you do it) are clear and streamlined.
Improved organizational planning and structuring mean that training, onboarding, as well as educational resources, are easier to find.
The implementation of QMS can promote a culture of continuous improvements in the company
Employees feel more connected and are more responsible for their processes.
The ability to foster a culture of continuous improvements can improve employee morale as well as workplace happiness. By making workers feel involved in the development, execution, and optimization process they use daily, they can increase their motivation and productivity.
Additionally, it makes sense for the people responsible for optimizing a process to be the ones using them every day.
It is possible to bring together all employees to work on improving existing processes. You not only encourage continuous improvement, but also align workers and the overall organization’s goals.
How to obtain ISO 9001 certification
To be certified, you must implement a quality system that conforms to the ISO 9001 standard. Once this is done, a certified auditor will audit your QMS.
The organization will then need to recertify.
Technically, only organizations can obtain ISO 9001 certification. But, for the sake and clarity, I have included a section on how an individual can become a certified body (CB or Registrar), in order to perform certification audits of organizations.
For organizations
It should be obvious that ISO 9001 isn’t a group to which organizations can “join up”. It is an accreditation that must be obtained in a specific auditing process.
You need to follow these steps in order to become ISO 9001 certified
Create and implement a quality system according to the ISO 9001 guidelines
An audit by a Certified Body or Registrar is performed to determine the performance of your QMS against ISO 9001 standards.
After you have been successful, the certificate needs to be recertified three years later (and every three subsequent years). This will ensure that your certification is up-to-date and reflect any new developments.
Individuals
ISO 9001, as stated, is not a personal standard. Therefore, such individuals cannot “get certification”. After a five day training course, they are eligible to become certified auditors.
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