A Brief Account of ISO 9001 Certification

Posted by Logan Waylen on December 4th, 2018

The internet is over flooded with the articles on ISO quality management standard. When every piece of content contains some remarkable benefits of the standard, most of them run short in providing the readers with useful tips on how they should work on the process. Considering this fact, we have come up with a comprehensive overview of ISO Quality Management standard. Here, you will explore the definition, benefits, and requirements of the standards along with some useful tips on the standard that can ease your certification process and ensure your certification. Let’s start with the definition of ISO 9001 certification.

Certification to ISO 9001- What does it Imply?

ISO 9001 is a globally acknowledged standard that has been designed to specify the requirements for an Efficient Quality Management System or QMS. Most of the modern businesses are inclining towards this standard to establish their capabilities of providing and maintaining quality in their offerings (no matter whether it is a kind of service or product).

Several surveys on ISO 9001 Standard reveal the gradual growth of certifications over the years. North American and East European countries have been maintaining the consistency in increasing the number of ISO 9001 certified companies. Here, we are going to list the countries in order (high rank to low rank) to help you understand which countries were progressive in terms of achieving certification to ISO 9001 as per a survey conducted in 2009:

Benefits

Every business can avail a number of benefits from ISO 9001 quality management certification. Here, we have outlined the key benefits of ISO 9001:

• Improves the business image and credibility
• Enhances customer satisfaction
• Boosts process integration
• Develops and maintains a culture of continual improvement
• Enhances employee engagement

ISO 9001 Requirements

I. Scope

ISO 9001 scope highlights-

A. The significance of a process approach
B. Regulatory requirements of the offered products or services
C. Processes designed for continual improvement

II. Normative Reference

This section focuses on the ISO 9001:2015 references, which are expected to be attached along with the documentation prepared for the ISO standard.

III. Terms and Definition

This section gives a clear insight into the standard and essential norms associated with this particular standard.

IV. General Requirements

This section provides an overview of the entire Quality Management System. It includes

A. Documentation Requirements
B. Quality Manual
C. Required Processes
D. Control of documents
E. Document control software

V. Management Responsibilities

Management responsibilities include-

A. Management commitment
B. Management representative
C. Quality policy & objectives
D. Customer focus and satisfaction
E. Corrective and preventive actions
F. Effective management review

VI. Resource Management

Section “six” is structured on the resource management requirements. It mainly focuses on two prime facts, such as-

A. Personnel and Training Programs
B. Human resource and other resource management

VII. Product Realization

Section “seven” contains a list of ISO requirements including:

A. Manufacturing planning
B. Customer related processes and feedback
C. Design process
D. Purchasing process
E. Process control
F. Identification and traceability
G. Customer property
H. Verification process of the purchased products

VIII. Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement

This section includes the requirements that focus on the monitoring processes and ensure continual improvement.

IX. Continual Improvement

This section is designed for determining the state of the continual improvement. It ensures that the company has made sound progress in quality management, which is critical for gaining ISO 9001 certification.

A Couple of Useful Tips

If you want to ensure your certification to ISO 9001, then you must follow a few useful tips. Let’s check them out:

• Pay attention to internal processes

You need to realize that an ideal QMS is all about the real evidence you have gathered from inside your organization. Therefore, it is important to identify the possible reasons why things may go wrong. Whenever you will get a detailed account of the QMS plan, you will be able to initiate the precautions that may help you avoid the pitfalls.

• Consider cost reduction

Cost reduction is the most desired aspect for most of the companies. You should pay attention to the effective fixes for your company’s performance progress.

• Think about the environmental impact

Less will be the environmental impact of your business, more you will save compensation money. Apart from this, it will help you establish a green image for your business.

• Consider regulatory compliance

Maintaining compliance is critical for a business, regardless of its size and business goals. You need to incorporate the essential regulatory compliance into your quality management strategy.
We hope this article will help you develop the right understanding of ISO 9001. All the best!

Author Bio

Damon Anderson is a professional writer who has been associated with a renowned ISO consulting company for years. He has expertise in ISO 9001 certification. His informative blogs are enough to help an entrepreneur understand what ISO 9001 Quality Management is.