How long does it take to get ISO 9001 certification

What is 9001 certification ?

9001 certification is awarded to an organization which adheres to ISO 9001 ( Quality Management System ) standard which is developed by the ISO ( International Organization for standardization ). The 9001 certification means that the organization has an established process in carrying out its activities and it strives for continual improvement.

Is your process stream lined ?

A process is an set of interrelated and interacting activities. Generally a process shall have an appropriate input , output and a value addition activities. A process is said to be stream lined when an organization places control on each of its inputs, value addition activities and the outputs with an measurable performance output. The effectiveness / efficiency  of the process is evaluated by the performance indicator / performance measures that are determined at specific intervals.

How much is spread across various locations ?

ISO ( Internal Organization for standardization ) is an Nongovernmental organization which develops the standards which are accepted by 165 nations worldwide. The ISO 9001 (Quality Management system) is an globally accepted standard for all type of organization which is interested in regulating the activities which they perform to satisfy the customer. The Standard is applicable for the organization which is involved in provision of products or provision of service to the customers

Educational Level and System Knowledge of your staff

Implementation of ISO 9001 will depend upon the educational level and system knowledge level of your staff. ISO 9001 Quality management system requires the employees of the organization to be competent on the basis of education, skills and experience in carrying out the activities. The Knowledge of Quality management system improves the effectiveness of implementation and the performance of the process

Commitment of Top Management

ISO 9001 Standards requires commitment of top management in the form of

i) Provision of resources and time for implementing QMS

ii) Satisfy applicable requirements from all the interested parties such as Customers, External providers (suppliers, Government, Stake holders)

iii) Act as an guide in formulating the Quality policy and quality objective of the Organization

iv) Conduct periodic review meeting in the form of Management review meeting to review the overall performance of Quality management system

Is Design or formulation involved in the process ?

In order for to determine if the organisation is in fact involved in design and development, auditors  establish who is responsible for defining the characteristics of the product or service, together with how and when this is carried out.

Generally, the design and development process consists of the following stages

i)Need for products, services and processes identified

ii)Design and development planning

iii) Design and development inputs

iv) Design and development process

v) Design and development outputs

vi) Design and development controls (verification)

vii) Design and development controls (validation)

viii) Completed design or development

The need for design and development comes from an organization’s context and the application of risk based thinking. We may also review that an organization has considered the following sources:

• customer requirements

• the organization’s strategic intent;

• market intelligence and research;

• service reports;

• customer feedback;

• new or changed statutory and regulatory requirements;

• process changes;

• new technology;

• suppliers.

We should evaluate whether the organization has in place, and performs, activities for the review of such needs. We should review how the decision to proceed with design and development is taken,

 

Is major part completed using contract staff ?

If an organisation is involved in a project that requires contracted personnel as its main component, the ISO 9001 Standard requires the contractor to review it regularly.

When designing a management system, many organizations will put in place systems to control product purchasing, access to services, and any delivery of services. They should also control external products and services when they believe they meet ISO 9001 requirements. This may include activities, products, and services provided by an external source that may be mandatory, including Sister / Parent , supplier.

The suppliers / external providers may be taken as conformity if

• information is written (for example, a list) stating that external players are authorized and that this information is up-to-date;

• Orders of external parties that meet the specified criteria

• Actions must be taken to ensure that the required requirements are met.

Plan your roadmap towards ISO certification

To make the process of ISO certification easier it is recommended to plan the road map of ISO certification which involves four stages

i) Gap analysis

ii) Training

iii) Implementation

iv) Auditing

Some tips of Quick certification

1) Restrict the scope : The scope of Certification is the boundary of the defined management system describing the main purpose of the organization. It may be easier to define the scope as what an organization does rather than what an organization wants.

2)Give more priority : It is recommended that the top management of the organization take the activity of certification as an high priority and motivate the employees for the process of certification

3)Full fill commitment of top management : The top management shall ensure proper resources , time are given to implement and maintain the ISO certification and frame the system policy and objectives and conduct periodic review of the performance

4)Training and motivating the staff:  Training is considered as an important tasks of the implementing the effective Management systems. Providing proper training from qualified trainers motivating in achieving the QMS certification helps in certification process

5)Conducting more internal audit initially : An internal audit is performed to identify the gaps in the implementation of the Management systems rather than pointing out the error. More gaps identified in initial phase of implementation improves the effectiveness of the Management system

General time frame based taken by Industry sector

The time frame in getting the ISO certification depends on multiple factors such as No of employees in the organization, Scope of the Management system, Competence of the employees, Management system Knowledge of the employees

Reason for failures and delays

1.Wrong guidance or consultant : Choosing the right guidance matters during the initial phase of certification

2.Not clear with the process or scope : Framing the scope and the process is the first stage of certification in the gap analysis

3.Frequent change over of Staff : The systems and procedure established for each department needs to be understood and followed upon

4.No importance given by the top management : If the Management system is not given the right importance it shall involve in chaotic failure of implementation

5.Lack of resources : The resources in implementation such as the right infrastructure , work environment, and competent employees is the commitment given by the top management in implementation

6.Resistance by the existing senior staffs : Any change in the system that is being adhered will have its resistance when it is not properly understood