ISO Certification: Ensures the quality of your product

Would you like to obtain ISO certification for your company? Learn what this certificate is and what it’s used for—it attests to a business’s quality management.

The ISO Certification 9001 is the tool for quality management the most widely used in the world, with more than one million organizations effectively implementing it. Spain is placed as fifth-largest country in the world and third in Europe with nearly 60,000 certified workplaces in accordance with this standard.

In such a competitive market In today's world, the key to a successful business is having robust quality control and that it can assure customers or users that the product can meet their needs. That is why proper certification in quality control, offers significant added value to the product, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Among other benefits, this certification improves processes and eliminates the costs associated with “poor quality,” while promoting continuous improvement.

¿What is ISO Certification?

This is a voluntary process in which a company that applies for certification can guarantee the manufacture of a product or the provision of a service based on standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (International Organization for Standardization or ISO). And they can be applied within any organization regardless of whether it is public or private, regardless of their line of business.

One of the most important aspects is that, beyond being a set of standards, ISO 9001, It provides a fairly flexible framework, which means that it does not regulate how a business should be run. However, the certification verifies that the business meets the requirements for quality management set forth by ISO 9001. This is supplemented by ISO 9004, which is responsible for expanding the points of the 9001 and encourages consumers to go a step further; and the 9011, which sets forth the criteria for conducting audits based on the 9001. 

How do you obtain ISO 9001 certification?

All the certifications offered by the International Organization for Standardization, They follow the same general guidelines—that is, they are based on a process with three clearly defined stages: Application, Evaluation, and Certification. 

The Application It involves filling out the online form to provide the relevant information about the company; the Evaluation, on the other hand, is the stage during which the requirements set forth in ISO 9001 and consists of two audits; and Certification, consists of issuing the certificate upon satisfactory completion of both audits mentioned above, and maintaining it through a three-year program periodic audits.  

If the auditor finds that serious nonconformities, the certificate will not be issued until the following have been implemented corrective actions corresponding, within 6 months of the evaluation; otherwise, it will be mandatory repeat the second audit.

What is the purpose of ISO certification?

One of the great benefits of ISO certification is that They succeed in boosting confidence in the company by customers or users. Below, we’ll explain the purpose of obtaining this type of certificate:

• Ensuring Quality of the product or service.
• System for evaluation and improvement of internal organization.
• Allows for hiring by large companies and multinational corporations.
• Achieve bids for public sector contracts, whether at the national, regional, or municipal level.
• Purchase brand prestige.
• Increase in the revenue, productivity, and innovation. 

Certification Audits

Below, we'll show you how to perform the audits corresponding to the Evaluation phase, It consists of two different phases:

Phase 1

It is the audit that confirms the ISO that the applicant organization is prepared for a thorough evaluation based on the requirements of the latest version of ISO 9001, where the auditor is responsible for:

• • Confirm that the management system complies with the requirements of the standard.
  • Confirm the implementation status.
  • Confirm the scope of the certificate.
  • Check compliance with the law.
  • Perform a report to identify any noncompliance or opportunities for improvement and agree on a corrective action plan if necessary.
  • Perform an evaluation plan and confirm a date for the Phase 2 visit.

Phase 2 of the ISO Certification Process

At this stage, the auditor delves fully into the quality management system of the association in question, to verify that, in practice, it complies with the requirements. Through the following milestones:

• • Conduct audits of the processes and activities defined within the scope of the certification.
  • Document how the system complies with the standard through the use of objective evidence
  • Report any failure to comply or missed opportunity for improvement.
  • Set a maintenance plan and will set a date for the first annual evaluation visit.

If the auditor finds serious nonconformities, the ISO certification It will not be issued until implemented the appropriate corrective actions, in less than the 6 months of the evaluation; otherwise, it will be mandatory Repeat the second audit.

Now that you know what it is ISO Certification and to see how it can help, don't hesitate to implement it in your company. The Master's Degree in Quality, Environment, and Safety in Construction Structuralia will help you build a successful future as a professional by applying the ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 standards. Take your career to the next level!