The products and services you provide to your customers reflect the quality of your organization. A quality management system (QMS) helps your organization consistently deliver high-quality products and services. ISO 9001 is a globally recognized standard that sets out the requirements for a QMS.
But getting ISO 9001 certification isn’t simple. Getting the paperwork and QMS processes in place costs money, time, and work. If you want to get certified more quickly, ISO 9001 consulting helps.
Let’s look at how ISO 9001 consulting can help your business get certified more quickly.
A Quick Overview of ISO 9001 Certification
ISO 9001 certification is a process that verifies an organization’s conformity of its quality management system to the requirements set by the ISO 9001 standard. This certification is recognized globally and helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to providing high-quality products and services.
To achieve ISO 9001 certification, organizations must follow the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach.
Plan – Identify your organization’s objectives, processes, and resources needed to achieve the desired results.
Do – Implement the processes and procedures as planned in the first step.
Check – Monitor and measure the performance of these processes and compare them with the objectives.
Act – Take corrective actions to address gaps or issues identified in the check step and continuously improve the QMS.
The PDCA is a conceptual approach to quality management that provides a structured and systematic way to implement a QMS. The idea is not to follow the steps once and achieve certification; instead, it requires constant monitoring and improvement to maintain the certification.
ISO 9001 provides the principles for quality management, and PDCA helps organizations implement these principles. The cycle is repeated to ensure continuous improvement and maintain the certification.
Key Requirements for Faster ISO 9001 Certification
Organized Processes is a Must
The processes with required resources and objectives must be organized clearly to achieve the desired results. Leadership should have a clear understanding of the organization’s processes and be able to communicate them effectively. A lack of organization can lead to delays and confusion during the certification process.
Committed to Quality Management Principles
ISO 9001 certification is not just about implementing processes and having documentation in place. It also requires a solid commitment to the seven quality management principles.
- Customer focus
- Leadership
- Engagement of people
- Process approach
- Improvement
- Evidence-based decision making
- Relationship management
Organizations committed to these principles can achieve certification faster as they align with ISO 9001 requirements.
Management Involvement and Support
No certification process can be successful without the commitment and support of top management. Senior leaders must be actively involved in the certification process. Delegating responsibility to others may lead to delays or errors in implementation. Top management should also provide the necessary resources and support to implement the QMS successfully.
Access to Information and Documentation
You may have all the necessary documentation in place, but if they are not accessible, it can cause delays during the certification process. All documentation must be easily accessible to the employees involved in the certification process. As a best practice, electronic documentation should be easily shared and accessible anywhere.
Location and Scope
The location of your organization and the scope of its operations can also impact the time it takes to achieve ISO 9001 certification. For organizations with multiple locations or complex processes, the certification process may take longer as there are more factors to consider. It is important to have a clear understanding of your organization’s scope and location before beginning the certification process.
Trainings of Employees
The success of your QMS depends on your employees’ knowledge and skills. More training means better implementation and faster certification. You should identify your employees’ training needs and provide the necessary training to ensure they are competent. The more knowledgeable and skilled your employees are, the smoother the certification process will be.
The Time and Effort Required for ISO 9001 Certification
With proper planning, organization, and dedication, easy and fast certification is possible. The time and effort required for each step in the certification process depends on your organization’s size, complexity, and resources. Companies with less than 20 employees can expect to spend approximately 3-6 months on the certification process. Larger and more complex organizations may take up to a year or more.
If your organization is dedicated and committed to achieving certification, the following are general timeframes for each step.
Gap Analysis
A gap analysis takes 2-4 weeks to conduct for a small—to medium-sized company, and larger companies may require more time. A gap analysis helps identify gaps between current processes and ISO 9001 requirements.
Planning and Implementation of QMS
For small—to medium-sized companies, planning and implementing a QMS can take 3-6 months. Larger organizations may need more time due to the complexity of processes and resources involved.
Internal Audits
Internal audits help identify any gaps or non-compliances in the QMS. These audits should be conducted before applying for certification. Depending on the size of your organization, it can take 1-3 months to complete internal audits.
Pre -Certification Audit
This audit is conducted by a third-party certification body to ensure your organization’s QMS complies with ISO 9001 requirements. The certification body usually completes the audit in 2-4 weeks.
Certification Decision
After the pre-certification audit, the certification body will decide whether or not to grant ISO 9001 certification. This process can take 2-4 weeks.
Surveillance Audits
Once certified, your organization will undergo regular surveillance audits to ensure compliance with ISO 9001 requirements. Depending on the certification body, these audits are conducted every 6-12 months.
Re-certification
ISO 9001 certification is valid for three years, after which your organization will need to be re-certified to maintain it. The re-certification process is similar to the initial certification process and can take 1-3 months.
How Can ISO 9001 Consulting Help Speed Up the Process?
Hiring an ISO 9001 consultant can significantly speed up the certification process. They have expertise and experience in implementing QMS and can efficiently guide you through each step.
Suncuppro is a platform that connects organizations with experienced ISO 9001 consultants who can help you achieve certification faster and more efficiently. They can also train your employees, conduct internal audits, and prepare you for the final certification audit. With Suncuppro’s help, you can reduce the time and effort required for ISO 9001 certification.