Being certified and verified is an important aspect of a business or organisation. It helps with its credibility and reliability that attract more potential clients. Any organisation is always required to meet the standards of a quality management program to ensure that it delivers a good regulatory practice.
These businesses mostly aim to meet the standards of ISO 9001, which is one document of the International Organisation for Standardisation or the ISO 9000 series. It contains the requirements for businesses to achieve the desired quality management system. The standard for this system covers some basic aspects of any company, such as equipment, facilities, workers, training, and services. Businesses must meet these standards to prove that they do real transactions and meet the demand and satisfaction of customers. Here are the steps to being ISO certified:
Step 1: Preparation
The preparation stage consists of gap analysis, value stream mapping, determining context, management support, and conducting a risk analysis.
In gap analysis, you have to evaluate your company’s performance by listing some desired outcomes for your business and assessing the performance if it is enough to achieve the desired goal. It is also important to know if the company’s actions comply with the standards of ISO 9001. Next, carefully study and list the process through value stream mapping. You also need to determine the context of your organisation and know its values and principles. If needed, you can also ask for management support to give you the extra help you need. And the last step in the preparation stage is to list and analyse possible risks and think of ways to mitigate them efficiently.
Step 2: Project Planning
In project planning, you have to create a plan of your resources. Decide if you want to hire consultants or create an internal team. You also need to prepare other necessary documents like company guidelines, checklists, and training materials.
Step 3: Training
This step is to conduct meetings and seminars with the whole organisation and introduce ISO standards to them, especially if they are unfamiliar with the topic. Also, learn the revisions or new updates if there are any to ensure that the business shall strictly adhere to the ISO guidelines.
Step 4: Doing the Work
Start doing the action and make the necessary changes to the organisation. Update all its processes and train all the employees to follow and obey the new quality management system.
Step 5: Internal and External Audit
Review your new system and check if the company efficiently adapts to it, and do corrective actions if needed. When you’re finally certain about your records and documentation, you can now submit it to the registrar. From then, an auditor shall conduct a visit to your company and check your records. He/she will let you know if you need to adjust more changes. If there are still needed adjustments, comply and have it verified again to the auditor once done.
Step 6: Claim Certificate
When all is well and everything has already been approved, you can now register and claim your ISO 9001 certificate.
Being ISO certified is one of the signs that a business is credible and reliable. The steps in getting a certificate are preparation, project planning, training, doing the work, internal and external auditing, and last, get registered and certified. Having an ISO certificate is important for businesses to increase their efficiency, employee empowerment, quality of products and services, and trust of customers and stakeholders.
