subject: Getting Ready for ISO 9001 Certification [print this page] Every business owners aim to be seen as an authority in the line of business they are in. Whether you are a service provider or a product seller, having a certification of some kind is important as it proves to the world the kind of work that you have. Such is the case of companies applying for ISO 9001 certification.
In general, the ISO 9000 family of certification focuses on quality management practices. ISO Certification 9001:2008, a part of this family of standards, is all about the standardized requirements for a quality management system. Other standards included in this family, however, focuses on other areas such as fundamentals and vocabulary, documentation training, and financial and economic aspects.
In order to qualify for an ISO 9001 certification, or in order to be certified that your company is in compliance with the ISO 9001:2008 standards, a company needs to have a number of things in place including a set of procedures covering all key aspects of the company's operations. There should also be a monitoring system that determines whether all processes are effective, as well as a records management system that keeps track of all that is happening within the company.
If a company wishes to be undergo ISO 9001 registration, it first has to determine the requirements set by the ISO 9001 based on the company's line of industry as part of its self-audit. Part of these requirements include a lot of paper works and documentations so most professionals recommend that, a company intent on becoming IOS certified should start documenting its processes long before they apply for ISO certification.
Once all the requirements have been met, an external audit is done by an ISO 9001 registrar. They would be the one to review the quality manuals as well as the procedures being implemented within the company. This would oftentimes include a check on what the company has in place to determine whether the targets set are being met and how they are measured and deemed achieved.
Keep in mind, however, that, although an ISO 9001 certification is a nice touch in letting people know that a company is in compliance with a high set of standards, this does not necessarily mean that they have high quality end products or services.
