ISO 9001 FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is ISO 9001?

The largest recognized Quality Management System in the world. The most recent version is ISO 9001:2015. Confirmed current in 2021 by the ISO organization.

Registrar Quotes

If you interested in pursuing certification, a quote is the first step of the process. We are responsive and small business friendly.

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Customer Satisfaction

Goal of ISO 9001 is to enhance customer satisfaction through effectively implementing a QMS, with processes for improvement.

Affordability

- - Initial Certification Audits cost is between $3-5,000 for the first year
  - Annual surveillance audits are required.

ISO 9001:2015 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the ISO 9001:2015 Standard

A. ISO 9001 is a global quality standard focused on defining minimum best practices for the production and delivery of a company’s goods and/or services. It focuses on efficiency, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement, and guides organizations to the development of a formal quality management system (QMS). The QMS is made up of processes and documentation that control operations and ensure that requirements are met.

Q. Who Can Certify to the Standard?

A. ISO 9001 can be implemented by any company of any size and any type of business, even a virtual business. Companies as small as 2 or 3 employees can certify. Currently there are more than a million organizations certified to the standard world-wide.

Q. What is the Cost of Certification?

You need to complete a quote request for costs specific to your organization through a Registar (such as CertFast, Inc.) costs can vary but CertFast, Inc. has costs specific to small businesses and even offers virtual audits to keep the costs lower. The cost for the first year typically ranges from $3,000-$5,000 for the initial certification audit.

Q. What are the benefits?

A. Achieving certification to the ISO 9001 standard offers organizations the ability constantly and consistently improve their processes, refine their deliverables, and grow their business. Benefits include increased efficiency, less rework, less waste, improved company reputation, increased customer satisfaction and business growth.

Q. Who issues the certificate?

A. ISO 9001:2015 certificates are issued by a third-party registrar (such as CertFast, Inc.) after an extensive audit of the company’s Quality Management System (QMS).

Q. What happens during the audit?

A. During the audit, the Registrar will evaluate compliance with the ISO 9001:2015 standard’s requirements. Surveillance audits must be repeated on an annual basis to maintain certification.

Q. What is a surveillance audit?

A. A surveillance audit occurs the 2 years after the initial certification audit. It covers a portion of your Quality Management System. Not all processes are evaluated but over the course of the 2 years, they are covered to ensure that the company is in compliance with the standard in your business practices.

Q. How long does it take to get certified?

A. Once you are thoroughly prepared, your audit can take from 2 days up to 5 days depending on the number of sites and complexity of your Quality Management System. Most audits take 2 days for a small business.

Q. Who needs to be involved in the audits?

A. For a successful ISO 9001 system, all members of the organization should be involved (on some level) with the implementation of a new QMS. Top Management and a QMS Leader (Management Representative as it is sometimes called) helps direct the process of implementation.

Q. What are the ISO 9001:2015 requirements?

A. The ISO 9001 requirements are organized into the following sections: Context of the Organization, Leadership, Planning, Support, Operation, Performance Evaluation and Improvement. Securing a copy of the standard will provide all the details.

Q. How do I get a copy of the ISO 9001:2015 Standard?

A. The ISO 9001 standard is available for purchase on the Internet through various organizations. The price is less than $200 but it is required that each company that certifies owns their own copy of the standard.

Q. What is the Process Approach?

A. The ISO 9001 standard uses the Process Approach, or the way in which processes and actvities in a company work together to deliver quality products/services. By examining an improving key business processes, organizations are able to directly impact the way they service their customer.

Q. What is the PDCA cycle?

A. The PDCA cycle stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act – it is used during the implementation of process improvements in ISO 9001 implementation. The improvements need to be thoroughly thought through, documented and monitored for continued success.

Q. What is Risk-Based Thinking?

A. Risk-Based Thinking was incorporated into the ISO 9001:2015 version of the standard and it is the driving factor of decisions made by organizations working to implement an ISO 9001 QMS. The organization identifies potential risks and rewards and it is designed to shape a culture that is proactive and designed to mitigate potential risks and capitalize on improvements for reward.

ISO Certification Steps

Getting certified requires the completion of a Quote Request that includes your organization’s “Scope of Certification” – we help you with this.

Next we schedule your 2 Initial Certification Audits – Stage 1 and Stage 2 Audit.

Once you meet the requirements of the standard, your ISO 9001 Certificate is issued.

What is ISO 9001 Certification?

It is the world’s largest recognized Quality Management System (QMS) Certification representing over 1 Million certifications worldwide. ISO 9001 is the standard that focuses on customer satisfaction and meeting customer requirements for consistency and continuous improvement. ISO 9001 can apply to any type of company and any size.

In order to certify to the ISO 9001:2015 standard, you will need to secure a copy of the ISO 9001 official standard and implement the requirements.

Benefits of ISO 9001:2015 Certification

Increased business efficiency
More consistent product and service quality
Increased business opportunities
Increased Customer satisfaction
Business growth and stability

Why ISO-01

Feel free to reach out to us with your questions by phone at 855.393.0240 or request a quote by clicking the button above.