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Preparing for ISO 9001

 

Purchasing a copy of the ISO 9001 standard is a good start and we would also recommend a very helpful handbook published by ISO called ISO 9001 for Small Businesses. The title is somewhat mis-leading as it is just as relevant to big businesses as small. It has all of the requirements of the standard mapped out and in plain-English too! There are also examples of how organisations across various industries have tackled key issues.

 

To boost your confidence, you might also consider attending an ISO 9001 introduction training course. This will not only help your understanding of the standard but also make it easier to convey the benefits of certification to your management and work colleagues.

 

Requirements of the Standard

The process starts with what's known as a 'Stage 1 Audit'. This is where a Lead Assessor from your chosen Certification Body visits you to review your existing systems and provides you with a 'Gap Analysis' report which will identify the actions required to meet the standard. This can be used as a helpful action plan, so don’t worry if you think you're under prepared. Many businesses find that they already have a number of required processes in place, they just need better documentation and communication of what processes are mandatory, whilst addressing who has responsibility for what.

 

Once the organisation is ready and has filled the gaps highlighted in the Stage 1 Audit report, an Auditor will visit you again for the second visit; known as the Stage 2 Audit. This will reveal the effectiveness of your management system and whether it meets all the requirements of the standard. If you are fully compliant, you will be recommended for certification. The Auditor's report will then be checked via an approvals process and if no anomalies are identified, certification is officially awarded.

 

ISO 9001 gets you to look at the five main areas that are vital to any business, namely:

 

To achieve certification, your organisation must demonstrate that it has effective procedures which are consistently applied, for activities such as:
 

 

Your involvement

 

In order for ISO 9001 to be effective, it needs to be supported by your top management. It will also require key staff to be committed and active in communicating the plans; which will usually include changes for improvement. However, organisations usually find that the requirements of the standard are largely common-sense, with implementation and integration soon taking place.

 

In order to get the most from the process, a designated representative should take responsibility from within your organisation. However, this doesn't mean you have to appoint a 'Quality Manager', just someone who is the main point of contact. Your coordinator will need to know how the organisation functions and sign-post the assessor to the most appropriate people from time-to-time. Time-wise, your internal coordinator will be spending approximately 4-6 hours a week on average throughout the implementation phase. In most cases the principals of ISO will soon become integrated within your business and before you know it, it'll just be the way you do things!

 

Using a consultant

 

Some organisations decide to use a consultant specialising in ISO 9001 before starting the certification process. This isn't strictly necessary but can prove very helpful if you have resource constraints or need an extra bit of  support. Undoubtedly, a competent and experienced ISO 9001 consultant would be able to speed-up the process for you.

 

Financial Planning

 

Whether you decide to use a consultant or not will of course have a major effect on how much it costs to achieve ISO 9001 certification. When it comes to certification itself, a small business should budget around £2,000, whilst larger businesses would pay more depending on factors like the number of staff they employ and how many sites they operate from. Essentially, the cost of your certification will be linked to the number of audit days that are required.

Some Certification Bodies may charge you extra if you don't pass your audit first time, in order to conduct a re-audit. However, provided you have undertaken an effective Stage 1 Audit and implemented all recommendations, you should expect to pass your Stage 2 Audit first time.

 

In order to retain certified status, you will need to be re-audited at least annually. Some Certification Bodies may insist on 6-monthly audits but this is based on your organisation's risk profile and should be the exception.  Prices will vary from one Certification Body to another but typically, the cost should be around 40% of initial certification fee. Every third year, a more in-depth audit is required, which some Certification Bodies may charge more for.

 

When comparing Certification Bodies quotes then, it's essential to ensure they are like-for-like. The following Price Match Checklist may help you to decide what's best for you.

 

 

The role of the Certification Body

 

UKAS accredited Certification Bodies have proven that they have the technical competence to undertake certification and that they have robust systems in place to ensure impartial and objective assessments. They are not allowed to provide any form of consultancy, as this would impede their impartiality. Properly regulated Certification Bodies may only 'sign-post' you to best practice and confirm what requirements you need to fulfil. In addition they can provide general training but not train you to pass your certification.
 

How long will it take to achieve certification?

 

You should plan for the process to take approximately 3-6 months but some organisations have achieved it faster. Typically it will depend on the size of your organisation and the scope of your certification.

 

Any additional questions? Quiz our award-winning Customer Service Team or obtain a no-obligation quote for ISO 9001 by calling us free on 0800 404 7007 or filling out the Contact Form.

 

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