How to Maintain Your ISO 9001 Certification

11 December 2018

Once you’ve completed all the stages of the Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle and believe that you are ready to seek certification for ISO 9001, you can apply to begin the certification process.

To apply, simply fill out a quote request form on our website or call us to discuss your certification requirements and process. Our quick quote form provides us with basic information about your company and request, allowing us to determine the scope of the required assessment. Fill out the form with your information, and a member of our team will contact you within 24 to 48 hours. Alternatively, you can call us to discuss your needs.

The next step in the process is the initial certification audit. This consists of two mandatory visits conducted by NQA. During this step, we will assess your QMS against the requirements of ISO 9001. Note that before this stage can begin, you must demonstrate that your QMS has been active for at least three months and that you have conducted a full cycle of internal audits of your system.

Stage 1: The first stage of the initial certification audit is a preliminary visit to verify that the organization is prepared for a full evaluation. During this stage, the auditor will confirm that the QMS meets ISO 9001 requirements and complies with legislative requirements. They will also check that the QMS has been adequately implemented. At the end of the preliminary visit, the assessor will formulate a report that notes any non-compliance or areas for improvement as well as an assessment. They will also set a date with management for the next stage of the assessment.

Stage 2: The next state of the initial certification audit is the full assessment of the QMS. During this visit, the auditor will perform sample audits of all of the processes and activities required for ISO 9001 certification and document objective evidence of how QMS implementation conforms to the standard. As with the preliminary visit, the auditor will produce a report on any non-compliance or potential improvements. If any major gaps are discovered during the final assessment, the auditor will not recommend the issue certification at that time. Before the certificate can be issued, NQA must verify that the organization corrected the issue. If the organization does not fix the problem within six months, NQA must conduct another stage two assessment before granting certification.

If the organization passes the audit, it will receive certification to the standard. NQA will then set up a schedule for regular visits. The auditor will conduct a surveillance visit once a year and a recertification audit every three years. The surveillance audits serve to ensure compliance is still being met during the three-year recertification cycle. At the end of three years, if the company passes the recertification audit, its certification will be renewed.

Working With An Accredited Certification Body

The benefits of implementing ISO 9001 are substantial and far-reaching. It produces internal benefits, such as improved processes and increased profits, as well as external ones, such as increased customer trust and higher satisfaction among stakeholders.

To really get the most out of ISO 9001 implementation, the organization works with an accredited certification body such as NQA. We provide a complete range of certification services and focus on opportunities for improving your organization during our audits as well as meeting the requirements of standards. We help you to understand technical requirements and offer actionable advice, so you can enjoy the benefits of a successful QMS.

We seek to provide as much value to our clients as we can through our certification services, so they can do the same for their customers through their various business operations.

Get ISO 9001 Certified with NQA Today

If you’d like more information or have questions or comments, contact us today! If you’d like a free quote, complete our online quick quote form, and a member of our team will contact you via email or phone within 24 to 48 hours.

As the international standard for quality management systems, ISO 9001 certification serves as a powerful symbol of your company’s dedication to quality and customer satisfaction. Becoming certified to this standard signals to potential customers that you take meeting their needs seriously. Implementing it also offers significant benefits to your organization’s processes as well as its customers, its employees and other stakeholders by identifying opportunities for improvement within the organization.

At NQA, we focus on identifying potential improvement opportunities as well as verifying that your QMS meets all of the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. We provide value to our customers through our comprehensive range of certification services.

This focus on creating value for our customers is why we developed this guide. It will help you to understand various aspects of ISO 9001 from the history of the standard and the various forms it’s taken over time to practical advice on how to conduct internal audits. We designed it to serve as a resource that helps you get the most out of the ISO 9001 implementation process.

If you have any questions as you look through this guide, please contact us. You can also reach out for a free quote. Thank you again for downloading our guide on how to implement the international quality management system standard, ISO 9001.