ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001:2015

The ISO 9001 certification process
Standards make our day-to-day lives easier in many areas. Standards help to ensure that these systems work together seamlessly, as is the case with ISO 9001.
The ISO 9001 quality management system is your management and control system. It has been successfully adopted worldwide, both by manufacturing organisations and service providers.
The added value of ISO 9001 certification: it demonstrates to your customers, partners,
employees and regulatory authorities that you are taking responsibility through this management system. It enables you to document the quality of your work at an international level.

1. Preparation and structure of the management system
The first step is to decide whether you wish to certify your entire organisation or only specific areas. The scope of your quality management system is then defined on this basis.
You then establish the necessary structures to implement the requirements of ISO 9001. This includes, amongst other things, documenting your processes, defining responsibilities and implementing organisational and operational requirements across your entire scope of operations.
This preparatory phase is usually the most time- and resource-intensive part, as it takes place alongside the organisation’s day-to-day operations.
Support from external consultants is available and can be helpful in ensuring a structured implementation. The certification body itself is not involved in this phase.

2. Certification
The certification body will only become involved once the management system has been fully established and implemented within the organisation. The certification body does not provide any consultancy services in this regard, in order to ensure the independence of the certification process.
The certification process begins with the Stage 1 audit. This serves as a preparatory assessment and checks whether the documented requirements of ISO 9001 are fully in place and whether the system is, in principle, ready for audit.
If any discrepancies are identified, you will be given the opportunity to correct them within a specified period – usually up to three months.
During the subsequent Stage 2 audit, an on-site assessment is carried out to verify whether the management system is being effectively implemented and meets the requirements of the standard. Upon successful completion, ISO 9001 certification is awarded.
Audits are scheduled once the contract has been concluded, in consultation with the organisation and subject to the auditors’ availability.

Get your information now
Whether it’s initial certification or recertification of an existing management system – QS Zürich Ldt. will guide you every step of the way. Contact us for a no-obligation initial consultation or use our enquiry form directly.