Key steps for securing and ISO accreditation
If you are considering getting your business ISO compliant you should understand that there is no single right pathway to get there. There are multiple ways to prepare for certification but there is only a single way for achieving it. The process of certification is unique and individual according to the company’s goals and mission statements. Also there are many Industry specific certifications within the ISO. These include one for Quality Management, environmental management and health and safety management. One of the most widely accepted ISO standards is that of the 9001 series.
What is ISO accreditation?
The ISO accreditation is a certification process which verifies that your company is meeting the globally accepted standards for your specific field. Though the ISO itself does not certified business is its role is in the development and agreement of international standards. There are third parties which conduct the certification process and issue the final certificate. The ISO provides guidance to a number of certification bodies. These documents help guide the certification process for certain businesses.
The ISO comprises of 162 National standard bodies which means that there is only one for country where these organizations provide accreditations for certification bodies which also include ISO ordered through the international accreditation forum (IAF)
If a company lacks accreditation this is by no means an indication that the company is not reputable. However it is still something which is important because it means that organization meets and follows the guidelines which have been set down by the ISO.
Tips for choosing the right certification body
There are three steps recommended for choosing a certification body which is right for your specific organization.
- Make sure that you start with your country’s IAS members and signatories. A company which has been accredited by the members of the IAS has independent valuation.
- You need to find out if the company uses the relevant standards set by ISO
- You might need to make a comparison of the several bodies based on your timeline and the specific requirements of your business.
The most time consuming step can be the third one in which you would need to compare the several bodies. There is also a cost which is associated with this factor but it is helpful that you are aware of his certification body would be best for your particular business. You might need to carry out initial assessments and even conduction surveillance visits.
In order to achieve the ISO certification you need to go through the gap analysis and the audit. In order to have better efficiency, it is better to choose a certification body like Atlas Certification which can consult you on implementing systems and provide suggestions and improvements. There are companies that choose to have their management systems design and audited by the same independent third party. However these parties are not allowed to consult or assist with the development of the management system. Once the audit is complete you can get registered certificate which implies that your company complies with the specified ISO standards.