WHAT IS ISO 9001 ACCREDITATION?
Obtaining ISO 9001 accreditation requires following a structured approach that includes several key steps:
- Understand the ISO 9001 standard: The first step is to read and understand the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard, which is a quality management system framework that outlines the best practices for businesses to ensure consistent quality and customer satisfaction. You can purchase the standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) website.
- Conduct a gap analysis: Once you understand the requirements of the standard, you need to conduct a gap analysis to identify the areas where your business falls short of the requirements. This step helps you identify the processes, procedures, and policies that need to be improved or implemented to comply with the standard.
- Develop and implement a quality management system (QMS): Based on the results of your gap analysis, you need to develop and implement a QMS that meets the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. The QMS should include procedures for managing all aspects of your business operations, including customer requirements, product design and development, manufacturing, testing, delivery, and customer feedback.
- Conduct an internal audit: After you have implemented your QMS, you need to conduct an internal audit to determine whether your QMS is effective and compliant with the ISO 9001 standard. The internal audit should be conducted by a trained auditor who is not involved in the area being audited.
- Corrective actions and Continual improvement: Based on the results of the internal audit, you need to take corrective actions to address any non-conformities and improve your QMS. Continual improvement is a key principle of the ISO 9001 standard and requires that you continually monitor and improve your QMS over time.
- External audit and certification: Once you have implemented and improved your QMS, you need to engage an accredited certification body to conduct an external audit of your QMS. If your QMS meets the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard, the certification body will issue you with an ISO 9001 certificate.
It’s important to note that obtaining ISO 9001 accreditation is a rigorous and time-consuming process, and you may need to engage a consultant to help you through the process.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ISO 9001 ACCREDITATION AND ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION
ISO 9001 accreditation and ISO 9001 certification are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings.
ISO 9001 accreditation refers to the process of assessing and approving an organization’s quality management system (QMS) against the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard by an accreditation body. Accreditation bodies are organizations that have been authorized to assess and approve certification bodies based on their competence to conduct audits and issue certifications. Accreditation bodies typically conduct regular assessments of certification bodies to ensure that they are operating according to established standards and procedures.
ISO 9001 certification, on the other hand, refers to the formal recognition by a certification body that an organization’s QMS meets the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. The certification process involves an independent third-party certification body conducting an audit of the organization’s QMS to determine its compliance with the ISO 9001 standard. If the QMS is found to be compliant, the certification body will issue an ISO 9001 certificate.
In summary, accreditation is the process of assessing and approving certification bodies, while certification is the process of assessing and approving an organization’s QMS. An organization can only obtain ISO 9001 certification from a certification body that has been accredited by an accreditation body.
FREE ISO 9001 CONSULTATION
Liberty Management Group (LMG) offers an initial onsite FREE ISO 9001 consultation. The purpose of this initial consultation is to find the GAP between your existing quality management system in relation to the requirements of ISO 9001 Standards.
After the initial onsite visit, LMG consultants will provide you with an estimate of the cost and the time frame involved in the ISO 9001 Implementation and Certification process. Any further contract or commitment is required only if LMG is selected as the consultant to provide further services.
