Working with an ISO 9001 Registrar to Achieve ISO 9001 Certification (Demo)

Many businesses of various sizes yearn to be certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Some of them, however, are not familiar with the process. Fortunately, an article by Demand Media writer Debra Kraft for Chron.com offers a step-by-step guide to understanding it. Kraft writes that the critical first step to the process is to familiarize all employees on what the business intends to do. Additionally, employees must be trained on their existing quality management system (QMS). The employees should be made aware of how the procedures relate to ISO 9001. Afterward, Kraft suggests that companies select a certification body. Consulting an ISO 9001 registrar means the companies have a partner to help them achieve the certification they have set their mind on. The registrar can conduct a pre-assessment which will involve document review. It is therefore recommended that before companies ask a registrar to do a pre-assessment, they have the appropriate documentation in place already, such as hard copies of training manuals, work flows or processes, and others. If a certain business is found to have a lot of nonconformities during a pre-assessment, e.g. lack of printouts of training manuals and such, they have to work to fix these non-conformances before they can be ready for an external audit. Meanwhile, if they obtain a good score in pre-assessment, it is a good sign that they are ready for the real thing. An external audit is typically performed in two phases. The first stage focuses on the business’s management system. This will involve checking documentation and identifying all legal and regulatory necessities. During this stage, non-conformances will also be pointed out for the business to resolve. Once the non-conformances are resolved, the business can undergo the second state of external audit. This will primarily focus on how well the business implements its management system. Once a business passes the second phase, they can expect an ISO registration recommendation from the certification body. However, some businesses think that being ISO 9001-certified is the end of the story. The truth is, they have to work hard to maintain the accomplishment by ensuring compliance to their current quality management system. They also have to continually work to improve their processes to better serve their clients and customers. The certification will also have to be renewed once every three years. Businesses looking into earning an ISO certification should study how the entire process goes. Numerous aspects go into being ISO-certified. Working with established ISO registrars like International Standards Authority, Inc. can help businesses understand the process even better. (Source: How to Become Certified for ISO 9001, smallbusiness.chron.com)