What is ISO Certification and why do I want it?

ISO Certification is a seal of approval from an external body whereby a company complies to one of the internationally recognised ISO Management Systems.

There are many reasons why you may want to adopt a management system. You could increase your success in tenders, improve internal efficiency, reduce costs or simply prove to your potential customers that you are credible.

Each standard supports its own benefits within every industry, however the common benefits across the certifications include: widened market potential, compliance to procurement tenders, improved efficiency and cost savings, higher level of customer service, and therefore satisfaction, and heightened staff morale and motivation. By having a recognised management standard it tells your customers that you are serious about their needs.

How can I obtain ISO Certification?

You can achieve ISO Certification in just 6-8 weeks using our step by step process.

Step 1: Choose a Management Standard

With over 22,000 international standards available, finding the right one for your business might seem a little daunting.

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the most popular place to start. This standard helps ensure you deliver a consistent level of quality and satisfaction.  Other well-known standards are ISO 27001 Information Security, ISO 14001 Environmental and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety.

This best way to determine which management system is right for your business is to discuss your needs with us.

Step 2: Contact Us

If you haven’t done so already, please contact our account management team to discuss your requirements. We will then book a visit with one of our consultants to come and run through your needs in more detail.  Following this visit, we will then be able to provide you with a proposal.

We pride ourselves on keeping the process as simple as possible.

Step 3: The Initial Assessment

If you accept our proposal, we will book an initial assessment with one of our experienced Lead Auditors. They will conduct a gap analysis to identify what works need to be done in order to become compliant.  We will make a series of recommendations.

Step 4: Documentation Preparation

We prepare documentation to include compulsory procedures (as required by the Standard), in line with your current company procedures.

Step 5: Certification

Provided all requirements are met, we will present you with your ISO certification.

The systems are focused on continual improvement and we will continue to support you through the term of your contract by carrying out a six monthly review, ensuring you stay on track and are ready for re-certification each year.

Step 6: Maintaining Compliance  

Management systems focus on continual improvement of your products, services or processes so you will be required to continually maintain your management system.

We’ll visit you again in six months time to undertake an internal review or ‘health check’. At this point, our auditor will provide support and review how your system is being managed at that time.  If they spot anything that may cause a problem with your re-certification audit in six months time, they will raise it with you, giving you clear instructions on what you need to do to ensure compliance.

Our internal review will allow you to feel more supported and confident as your annual re-certification audit approaches. Failure to be re-certificated is therefore rare.