QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - ISO 9001

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS – ISO 9001

THE CERTIFICATION

The notion of “quality” in the certification world is not simply related to the provision of good products or services, but it is linked to a specific organisational model.

A Quality Management System compliant with the UNI EN ISO 9001 standard is a guarantee that internal processes are efficient and committed to continuous improvement, increases trust in products and services provided by companies, facilitates relations between business partners and supports the choice of suppliers in the selection of participants to tenders.

UNI EN ISO 9001 is based upon specific standards, such as:

Customer orientation
Leadership
Staff involvement
Process-based approach
System approach to the management
Continuous improvement
Decisions based on facts
Mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers

BENEFITS

ISO 9001 Certification improves the corporate image, enhancing the company profile in terms of trading credibility and marketing reputation.

The Certification of Quality Management Systems guarantees many advantages, including:

Involvement and sharing with all company personnel of the culture and quality tools;
The application of models and tools for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the service / product offered, thus allowing for continuous improvement;
Greater competitiveness, guaranteed by the highest quality standards;
The internationality of third party certification;
The continuity of the self-assessment process that allows you to continuously monitor and improve processes / services and products;
Defect prevention and consequent cost reduction.

WHY TO GET CERTIFIED?

ISO 9001 is a fundamental instrument for:

Organizations participating in calls for bids: contracting authorities recognize concessions to companies with a certified Quality Management System, or ISO 9001 Certification is often a prerequisite for participation in the tender itself;
Organizations dealing with big clients: when a large company is looking for a supplier, one of the criteria for establishing the quality of any product/service or the reliability of a potential new supplier is the ISO Certification 9001.

WILL MY COMPANY UNDERGO CHANGES?

Organizations approaching Quality Management Systems for the first time are worried about all the changes that the adaptation to the standard may imply.
Actually, implementing a Quality Management System means following principles and activities that already exist, such as the risk assessment.
Often, the implementation of the Quality Management System consists of a better arrangement of the Organisation’s processes and in a detailed documents review.

WHAT DOES THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IMPLY?

The Certification ISO 9001 process begins with the System’s implementation, carried out by an internal specialist of the organisation or an external consultant.
Once the implementation is completed, ASACERT verifies the system consistency with the legislation and issues the Certificate that will be valid for 3 years and verified yearly.
The Audit taking place in the first year is carried out in two phases (Stage 1 and Stage 2) and leads to the final Certificate issue.
Within 12 months from the first certification, ASACERT carries out a Surveillance audit in order to verify that the management system is unchanged and still compliant with the standard. If any great change occurs, the Certification Body can modify the Certificate updating it to the organisation’s new situation.
Within one year from the first Surveillance Audit a second Surveillance Audit is due.
At the end of the third year, the organisation has to renew the Certificate through a specific Renewal Audit, otherwise, the Certification will be no longer valid.

HOW LONG DOES THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS REQUIRE?

The timing depends on the consistency level of the Management System and on the business size.
To get more detailed information on costs and timing, contact us and we will be happy to offer you all the necessary support.