There are many reasons to weigh up the decision whether to ‘go for’ ISO certification and like many commercial decisions one factor may be cost based, whilst others may include customer requirements or the perception of legal compliance. Organisations, whether a commercial or not for profit, operating across all sectors of the manufacturing and service economy must ensure they operate in a legal manner, ensuring compliance with regulations and other aspects of legislation. So, let us address the following questions.
Is the ISO9001 standard a legal document?
Strictly speaking no, but it may be that conformance to ISO 9001 Standard requirements is part of a contractual agreement between a supplier and customer, the conformance to the requirement may then legally binding.
So, by having the ISO9001 standard I will win new business?
One of the benefits of ISO 9001 certification is being recognised as a potential supplier by organisations with whom you wish to trade. Through third party certification you’ve demonstrated robust quality management and have the certificate to prove it. It is quite possible you may gain more customers; however, this is not a given. Be mindful too that, in situations where a customer requires you to have certification, you might well lose business if you are not certified, whether by suspending certification or worse still losing certification. The biggest benefit is achieved when the Standard is applied by the entire organisation for all processes.
What is the process approach?
The process approach is one of the seven principles of quality management. Consistent and predictable results are achieved more effectively and efficiently when activities are understood and managed as interrelated processes that function as a coherent system. The rationale is that the QMS (quality management system) consists of interrelated processes. Understanding how results are produced by this system enables an organisation to optimise its performance
What is a certification body?
A certification body is the organisation that certifies an auditee has met the
requirements of the standard. They then issue the Certificate accordingly. An accreditation body oversees their work (in the United Kingdom the sole body that can do that is UKAS).
It should be noted here that a consultancy such as QCS International whilst being experts in management systems cannot certify your organisation. UKAS states that there must be a clear distinction between consultancy services and certification. Which of course conversely means that a certification body cannot offer guidance and support as to how to meet the requirements of the standard and how to prepare for certification. Finally beware on companies who are non UKAS accredited offering certification – no matter how they present themselves and what affiliations they claim – the UK Government only recognises UKAS accredited certification bodies and so should you.
Can I follow ISO9001 without being certified?
Certainly, it’s a great framework for improvement, particularly when applied alongside tools such those used in Lean Six Sigma. Indeed, the IAF states ‘Certification to ISO 9001 is not a
requirement and you can use the standard to improve the way you work without being certified. However, third-party certification, when an independent certification body audits your practices against the requirements of the standard, is a way of signalling to your buyers, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders that you have implemented the standard properly.”
You could ‘self-proclaim’ or state that you are ‘working towards certification’ however, the QMS would not have been validated via assessment by an independent third party.
I have heard the term ‘certificate on the wall’ used, is that a requirement in ISO9001?
If you do achieve certification, it is not necessary to display it ‘on the wall’. However, it will be beneficial to display it in your marketing materials, use it in sales presentations and to promote your achievement in addition to using it to engage your staff and promote awareness.
If you do wish to begin the journey towards certification whether in quality, environmental, information security, energy, health & safety or another management system discipline then we keep things simple. It may well begin with an email or a conversation progressing to a gap analysis by one of our experts. Ultimately, it’s your management system, working in partnership with QCS International we can guide you as to the requirements of the standards to which you wish to subscribe and assist you in gaining certification through practical implementation of practices and procedures.
For ISO consultancy and training services we have the ‘certificate on the wall’ and can help you do the same.
