A Guide to ISO Certification: 3 Things to Know

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A Guide to ISO Certification: 3 Things to Know

Last Updated on January 28, 2022 by

ISO certification is a must-have for any organization, irrespective of size or industry. This indicates its capability to meet customers’ requirements consistently and abide by regulatory and statutory protocols. ISO or the International Standards Organization is an international non-governmental organization comprising of national standards bodies. The global marketplace demands standardization to maintain consistency and balance. ISO helps develop a level playing field and develops and publishes various commercial, proprietary, and industrial standards. The ISO certificate adds credibility and authority to a business and provides a solid basis to leverage organizational efficiency, reduce barriers to international trade, and help save time and costs.

ISO is a rigorous method to ensure that a business has implemented a Quality Management System. It helps certify that a management system, manufacturing process, service, or documentation procedure has quality assurance and standardization requirements. The standardization helps ensure the efficiency, safety, and quality of products or services. ISO certification enables companies to streamline their process, build coordination and communication horizontally and vertically among various levels, leverage resource procurement, and minimize wastage. It also provides organizations the credibility and recognizability to launch themselves in the international market and open avenues for growth and profitability. ISO certification standards enable companies to keep their products and services relevant. 

Organizations can opt for streamlined and efficient ISO certification in Qatar, UAE. It will enable them to meet their training and certification requirements. A registrar or certification body (CB) grants certification. The third-party assessor provides audit and certification of an organization’s management systems. When choosing the right certification body, you must ensure that they are accredited. Consider the following pointers to make the proper selection.

  • Experience: The auditors of the prospective certification body must have substantial experience in your industry. Assess their work portfolio, market experience, and look through the customers’ testimonials to establish if they can carry out the process.
  • Accreditation: Determine if the certification body you are considering is accredited, and if yes, who has done it. In most countries, accreditation is not mandatory but optional. However, most reputed companies opt for it, thus choosing an accredited company will act in your favor.
  • Cost: The cost of certification can vary across the certifying bodies. It covers the cost of certification, surveillance, and recertification audits. Consider how the agency integrates the following fees to provide you with the required services. 
  • Specialization: The certifying body must have proven experience certifying businesses in the industry you operate. It will enable them to carry out the necessary tasks with greater efficiency seamlessly. A good certification body will bring value to the relationship instead of just helping you obtain the required compliance recognition.
  • Integrated audit: You may begin by implementing a particular ISO standard, but as you proceed, you need to adopt other standards as well. Hence, if the certification body performs an integrated audit, it will ease implementing various standards. You will not have to undergo separate audits for every system. It will contribute to time and cost savings. 
  • Flexibility: The certification body must have proximity to your business location to conduct an audit at the required time.  
  • Language: Language must not prove to be a barrier in the certification process. The auditor must be fluent in your language to read the documents easily and develop a better relationship to carry out the process.

Validity of ISO certification

Once an organization is awarded an ISO certification, it is valid for three years. It must be renewed at the end of the three years, and the organization must undergo a reassessment process to renew it. The past performance is reviewed in the recertification process. The auditor will be review documents and records to ensure that your company has adhered to the requirements of the management system. The organization must strive to achieve continual improvement, which shows that it is deploying the system as designed.

Why opt for ISO Certification?

  • Meet Customer Requirements: One of the core principles of ISO standards is customer focus. ISO standards enable organizations to meet customer requirements and aim to exceed their expectations. 
  • Improve Product Quality: ISO certification audits a company’s quality management system. It helps adopt a process-based approach that translates to better quality products. Quality can be termed as conformance to the established set of requirements.
  • Reduce Wastage: ISO certification helps enforce a continuous improvement strategy to reduce wastage. ISO 9001 QMS identifies areas of wastage to implement preventative measures and effectively avoid wastage. 
  • Increase Confidence: When an organization is ISO certified, it empowers employees and instills confidence in them to deliver high-quality products. The organization has the necessary tools, resources, and equipment to streamline its operation and effectively produce products or services.

To Conclude: 

ISO certification opens doors for an organization to improve continuously and efficiently monitor their production process. It enables them to address discrepancies and inefficiency and contribute to cost, time, and resource savings. Hence, organizations must opt for certification and improve the bottom line. 

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