ISO 9001, an international standard for defining a quality-management system (QMS), is a global standard. It describes various criteria (or standards), to define quality management principles like focusing on the customer, optimizing management and leadership within the company, improving and fine-tuning internal processes, and general methods and continuous improvement.
Let’s examine each component of ISO 9001 certification.
Iso
ISO (or the International Organization for Standardization) is an international organization that establishes standards. It’s based in Geneva Switzerland. It is comprised of representatives from several different standard organizations including industrial, commercial, and proprietary.
It’s responsible for defining, implementing, and maintaining all standards.
The ISO itself does not certify anything. Certifications are performed by third-party organizations.
9001
The standard’s identifier can be found in the number after ISO. ISO 9001 is one standard that defines the criteria for quality management systems.
ISO 9001 belongs to the ISO 9000 group. All ISO 9000 standards concern quality management.
This standard is intended to assist organizations in meeting their customers’ demands more efficiently and effectively.
ISO 9001 has been certified by at least 1,000,000 organizations and businesses in over 170+ countries.
Certification
ISO 9001 can also become the sole standard in the 9000 families that can be certified. However, certification is not a requirement. Organizations can still apply the principles and management of ISO 9001 formally without being certified.
Technically, only organizations “can get certified”. Individuals can however become Certified Lead Auditors, or Registers, to perform auditors on companies.
The certification covers the whole organization. However, certifications can be focused on specific areas or departments to enhance performance.
Here’s a quick summary of the most important details about ISO 9001:
- ISO 9001 refers to an international standard for quality management systems (QMS).
- ISO 9001 is a part of the wider ISO 9000 family.
- ISO 9001 is the only standard that can get certified. There is no ISO Certification.
- ISO 9001 certification cannot be obtained by individuals. Certification is granted to organizations and companies.
- Individuals can be certified as an ISO 9001 Certified lead auditors, which allows them to audit other companies.
- It does not matter how large the organization is. It could be just one person or 100,000.
- ISO 9001 is a universal standard for quality assurance, regardless of industry.
- ISO 9001 can be described as a process-focused standard rather than a product-focused one. It is not meant to be a product-quality standard, although an efficient process should make it a quality standard.
What Does ISO 9001 Certification Entail?
ISO 9001-certified companies have successfully implemented a quality system that meets all requirements outlined in the ISO 9001 standard.
Why ISO 9001 Is Important
The ISO 9001 certificate is an internationally recognized symbol that demonstrates quality assurance and prestige. It is assumed that certified organizations have established a consistent system to ensure high customer satisfaction levels and continuous improvement.
Benefits Of ISO 9001 Certification
The many benefits that ISO 9001 certification offers make it an important decision for any company. The main benefits are listed below.
How ISO 9001 Certification Benefits Your Business
- Increased market share and profit potential
- Time saved with more efficient resource management
- Reduced or eliminated recurring problems or anomalies
- Improved brand image and credibility
- Process integration & process automation make manual work easier.
- The use of data and evidence in decision-making can improve the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness.
