ISO 9001 : QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

What is ISO 9001?
As an international standard, ISO 9001 specifies the requirements for organizations that want to ensure continual improvement and meet customers’ needs. ISO 9001 was specifically designed to serve as a guiding framework for organizations of all sizes and industries as it provides a firm customer focus, namely delivering qualitative goods and services, which subsequently leads to customer satisfaction. The implementation of a Quality Management System is a strategic decision for organizations that aspire to improve their overall performance and provide a strong basis for sustainable development initiatives. The standard assists organizations and/or professionals to plan processes, interactions and have a risk-based thinking.
Why is Quality Management SYSTEM important for you?
ISO 9001 certified professionals are considered as a strong asset to any organization. Meeting the future needs and expectations is a big challenge for organizations that operate in any industry, especially in today’s increasingly dynamic environment. Thus, in order to accomplish organizational objectives, it is important to understand the necessity of hiring experts on Quality Management Systems. By implementing ISO 9001, the certified professionals will help organizations to adopt continuous improvement practices and provide them with the essential techniques to ameliorate their working processes. As a result of increased efficiency, all the processes within the organization will be accordingly aligned and understood. Moreover, the productivity will increase and the costs will decrease. ISO 9001 experts enable organizations to identify and address organizational risks, and achieve customer satisfaction. They also enable organizations to increase their global presence as many clients require ISO 9001 certified experts before conducting business.


Benefits of ISO 9001 Quality Management
By becoming an ISO 9001 certified professional, you will be able to:
- Gain expertise in Quality Management Systems
- Help the organization to offer qualitative products and services
- Help the organization to reduce costs
- Gain competitive advantage
- Increase effectiveness
- Assist the organization to focus on risk-based thinking
- Contribute to the organization’s continuous improvement
- Improve performance
- Streamline organizational operations
- Increase the efficiency of the supply chain management
How can organizations implement and get certified in ISO 9001?
The implementation and certification process of ISO 9001 may vary depending on the size, complexity and maturity of each organization. However, a general overview of the steps involved is:
- Gap analysis: Conducting a gap analysis to assess the current state of the organization’s QMS against the requirements of ISO 9001. This helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of the QMS, as well as the gaps that need to be addressed.
- Planning: Developing a project plan to implement ISO 9001 based on the results of the gap analysis. The plan should include objectives, scope, roles and responsibilities, resources, timeline, risks and milestones.
- Training: Providing training to personnel involved in the QMS to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the requirements of ISO 9001. Training can be done internally or externally by qualified trainers or consultants.
- Documentation: Establishing or updating documented information to support the QMS and its processes. This includes policies, procedures, work instructions, forms, records etc. Documentation should be clear, concise and consistent with ISO 9001 requirements.
- Implementation: Implementing or improving the processes that are needed to provide products or services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. This involves applying the quality management principles of ISO 9001 throughout the organization.
- Internal audit: Conducting an internal audit to verify that the QMS conforms to ISO 9001 requirements and is effectively implemented. An internal audit should be done by competent auditors who are independent of the processes being audited. The audit results should be documented and reported to management.
- Management review: Conducting a management review to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the QMS and its processes. A management review should be done by top management who have the authority and responsibility for the QMS. The review should consider the inputs and outputs of the QMS, such as customer feedback, audit results, process performance, improvement actions etc. The review should also identify opportunities for improvement and assign actions to address them.
- Certification audit: Applying for certification from a third-party certification body that is accredited by an accreditation body. A certification audit consists of two stages: a document review and an on-site audit. The certification body will assess the conformity and effectiveness of the QMS against ISO 9001 requirements. If the audit is successful, the certification body will issue a certificate that is valid for three years, subject to surveillance audits.
- Continual improvement: Maintaining and improving the QMS and its processes by monitoring, measuring, analyzing and evaluating their performance and effectiveness. Also taking actions to enhance customer satisfaction, prevent or correct nonconformities, and address opportunities for improvement. Additionally, keeping up to date with changes in ISO 9001 requirements and best practices.

ISO 9001 is a global standard for quality management systems that helps organizations improve their performance, meet customer expectations and demonstrate their commitment to quality. Implementing and getting certified in ISO 9001 can bring many benefits to organizations of any size and sector, such as customer confidence, process improvement, ongoing optimization and continual improvement. To implement and get certified in ISO 9001, organizations need to follow a systematic process that involves gap analysis, planning, training, documentation, implementation, internal audit, management review, certification audit and continual improvement.
If you are interested in implementing ISO 9001 in your organization, you can contact us for more information. We are a certified ISO 9001 consultant that can help you design, develop, implement, audit, and improve your QUALITY management system. We have the expertise, experience, and tools to help you achieve your goals.