ISO certification is a certification that brings standards to organizations and thus shows the way for innovation and business growth. ISO certification is mandatory to create certain standards that ensure quality, safety and efficiency of products and services. It also assures that the company’s products and services meet customer and regulatory requirements. Certifies that the company’s management system is business, Beneficial for business, customers and employees/team with ISO standard.
Additionally, ISO certification helps demonstrate continuous improvement. It also certifies that the following process has met all the standardization and quality check criteria. Certification is issued in different regions, and each ISO certification has a different set of criteria, such as:
- Management system,
- Manufacturing process, and
- Service or Documentation Process
Prerequisites for ISO Registration
- Obtaining the appropriate ISO 9001 certification.
- Finding the Best ISO Registrar for Certification.
- customer perception.
- Improving results and product services.
Common Categories of ISO Certification
ISO certification categories are given below:
- ISO 9001-2015
- ISO 14001
- ISO 10012
- OHSAS 18001
- ISO 20000
- ISO 22000
- ISO 27001
- ISO 31000
- ISO 13485
- ISO 17025
- ISO 11135
- ISO 26000
- CE Mark
- ISO 50001
- HALAL
- GMP
Primary Elements of ISO 9001:2015
The primary elements of ISO 9001:2015 are-
- Leadership
- Prime focus on the customer
- Process approach
- People’s participation
- Continual improvement
- A structural approach to management
- Fact-based approach to decision making.
- Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
Benefits of ISO Registration
ISO registration has the following benefits:
- Enhances Business Efficiency
ISO registration plays an essential role in building credibility and increasing business efficiency in foreign trade.
- Improves Marketing Efficiency
ISO certification enhances the market potential of the company.
- Better customer services
ISO helps in improving the customer services and satisfaction so that the organization/company is encouraged to provide the best quality services.
- Global Credibility
If the organization/company wants to broaden business globally, ISO certification plays an crucial role in building credibility.
- Improves product quality
ISO certification improves the quality of the product, that is, it must match the quality of international standards. If the standard is not matched by the product, it will face rejection on the grounds of quality issues.
- Assistant in Government Tenders
ISO helps with government tenders and will give businesses an advantage over other competitors.
Documents Required for ISO Certification
The first step is to appoint the type of ISO certification needed for the business. The Mandatory documents which are required for ISO registration/certification are:
- Identity and proof of address of the applicant along with PAN card and Aadhaar card copy.
- Passport size photograph of the applicant
- Utility bill or electricity bill
- Copy of sale deed in case of self owned property.
- If the place of business is a rented property, a rent agreement is essential.
- Certificate of Incorporation, MOA and AOA, In case of a company.
Procedure for ISO Registration
Following are the steps to be followed for achieving ISO certificate or ISO registration:
A broad discussion of each step follows:
- Step-1-Select the type of certification
The type of certification required by the company/organization
- Step-2- File an Application
Once the ISO standard is selected, the applicant shall apply the relevant form. The application shall include the powers and responsibilities of the applicant and the certification body.
- Step-3-Submission of Documents
The application will be filed along with the required documents, and the ISO certification body will review the same. The ISO certification body shall review all the quality manuals and documents relating to various policies being followed in the company/organization.
- Step 4 – Initial Review of the Quality Management System
A pre-assessment, i.e. a preliminary review of the Quality Management System in a company/organization, is reviewed by the Registrar to identify any significant weaknesses in the company/organization and will also provide an opportunity to rectify deficiencies on a regular basis. Registration assessment is conducted.
- Step-5-Preparing an Action Plan
After an initial review of the quality management system, the ISO registrar notifies the existing gaps in the organization. The applicant has to prepare an action plan to plug such gaps. The action plan should contain a list of actions expected to be taken to complete the quality management system.
- Step-6 – On-premises audit by Registrar
The Registrar will conduct on-premises inspections to audit the changes made in the company/organization. However, if the registrant finds that the required changes do not meet the requirements of the ISO standards, The registrar will classify the organization into two categories based on severity. Categories are:
- Minor non-compliance
- Major non-compliance
Note: ISO registration cannot proceed until all significant non-compliances have been closed by the Registrar at the time of re-audit.
- Step-7-Obtaining ISO Certificate
The registrar will point to ISO certification when all non-compliances are bound and will be updated in the ISO audit report.
Types of Audits managed under ISO Registration
An ISO audit is managed to analyze the authenticity of the business plan and records of the company/organization, Under ISO registration.
The following types of audits are conducted under ISO registration:
- Internal Audit
Internal audit is carried out by trained staff. However, this can also be done by an outside organization.
- Supplier Audit
Lead auditors conduct supplier audits in the organization. It is conducted to ensure that the suppliers are working correctly and the organization is getting the right supply of products/services.
- Certification Audit
Auditors of certification bodies must conduct certification audits.
FAQ
Q. How to check whether an entity is ISO 9001 certified?
When an organisation gets ISO 9001 certified it receives an ISO certificate bearing a unique certificate number, i.e. ISO 9001. Using such unique number over the website of the accreditation body you can check that your business is an ISO 9001 certified entity.
Q. What is the cost of getting ISO 9001?
The cost of ISO 9001 depends upon various parameters-
- Type of business
- Number of the personnel
- The complexity of the business operations and
- Other parameters.
Q. How is ISO 9001:2015 better than ISO 9001:2008?
The latest version ISO 9001 2015 is much more effective than its earlier editions in many ways:-
It lays more emphasis on dedication from top-level management.
It focuses on better tracking of threats & opportunities in an orderly and judicious way.
Q. Do I have to renew my ISO certificate?
Not really, but auditors do conduct surprise checks from time to time to see if your business standards and procedures meet the required ISO mark.
Q. Why does my company need an ISO standard?
One of the main reasons is credibility. ISO offers great credibility in the market and enhances the reputation of your business. The government has now made it mandatory for all companies filing tenders for government work to have an ISO certification.
