ISO 9001 is an international standard by ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) for the organizations wishing to improve overall performance and implement a quality management system in order to demonstrate the quality requirements for their activities.
In todays competitive world trusted quality and customer satisfaction are important selection criterion for choosing a business organization. Hence ISO 9001 Certification shows Organization’s commitment to align their activities / processes with the demands of its customers
The updated ISO 9001:2015 standard focus on Risk-based approach on organization processes and helps to determine the factors under Quality Management System for putting preventive measures and addressing risks and opportunities.
Certification according to the standard ISO 9001 increases customer satisfaction and confidence among business partners, stakeholders and employees in the organization and certify the ability to to provide consistent delivery of products or services. ISO 9001 ensures a better understanding of organizational processes and efficient functioning of their strong involvement of top management, clear definition of responsibilities and authorities, creating the framework for continuous improvement and application of the requirements on quality, improving internal and external communication, efficient use of resources and reduce non-quality costs.
The Other benefits of ISO 9001 Certification are:
- Endorse Organization commitment on Quality Management by effective quality management system
- Increased customer confidence, the community, employees and the Authorities
- International Recognition of Certification improve organization image and reputation
- Advantage over business competitors.
Basis and Principles of Quality Management Systems – ISO 9001
Quality management systems based on eight basic principles, and these principles had been developed by experts from all the countries participating in the Technical Committee ISO \ TC 176 is responsible for the specifications of quality systems ISO 9000, and the adoption of the senior management of organizations to these principles combined will improve the performance of the organization. It is well known that the specifications of quality management systems ISO 9001:2000 & ISO 9001:2008 is based on these principles, namely:
- The first principle: The client is the focus of attention
- The second principle: Leadership
- The third principle: Involvement of staff at the facility
- The fourth principle: Methodology of processes
- The fifth principle: Managing with methodology of processes
- The sixth principle: Continuous Improvement
- The seventh principle: Decision-making based on facts
- The eighth principle: Profitable partnership for both parties with suppliers
Phases of application and evaluation of quality management systems
In general, the organization wishing to apply the quality management system should follow these steps:
- A study of the gap between the current situation of the organization and the requirements of the quality management system, generally this study is conducted by competent in partnership with staff of the organization and used the various tools, including “audit” and “personal interviews” and “questionnaires”. By the end it composed a specific image about the extent how near or far is the organization from the quality management system desired. The core outputs of this study is to accurately identify the gap between the existing system in the organization and the quality management system intended.
- The senior management of the organization in partnership with specialists developed an implementation plan for the steps and actions to be taken to cover the gap that has been identified in Step 1.
- Be in parallel at the organization, adoption and implementation of a training program and sensitize all employees at the facility of the requirements of a quality management system intended to set up the facility for the change required.
- The officials and experts should implement the executive plan developed in Step 2 and the senior management of the organization should provide the necessary resources for implementation.
- After the implementation of the new system and which supposed its conformity with the quality management system and for a reasonable period confirms the stability of the new system, the senior management of the organization commissioned specialists with appropriate expertise, both inside and outside the organization to conduct a comprehensive audit on the implementation of the new system in the organization, and usually this is done in a systematic audit, and according established plan predetermined.
- Audit results are usually “non-matches” to the requirements of a quality management system intended, and is assisted by senior management of the organization to take appropriate corrective action to close the “no-matches”.
- Organization is to implement processes contained in items 5 & 6 on a regular basis to maintain a satisfactory level of performance of the organization and in accordance with the requirements of the quality management system.
Phases of getting ISO 9001 certification
The international standards ISO 9001:2000 and its updated counterpart ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 9001:2015 represents general requirements for quality management system suitable for application to any organization of any kind or size or subordination, these specifications represents quality management system for most applications in the world and it is international standards issued by the organization ISO since 1987, It was the latest of several amendments in 2008, and when applied to the organization it can get a certificate confirming the organization’s commitment to the standards of this specification.
Steps to qualification, complying with ISO 9001
The steps in the preceding item represents basic steps for rehabilitation with the exception of some details and the following is a summary of these steps:
- Designation of representative of the administration has the authority to create a system and follow-up and communication with respect to third-party system, and follows this studying the gap complying with ISO 9001 and to issue a gap report and set an operational plan for the treatment gap.
- Develop and implement a training program for employees and awareness about quality management system complying with ISO 9001.
- Implementation of executive plan and put all the documents and processing systems organization to conform to the ISO 9001 specification.
- Conducting an internal audit, and the discovery of non-matches and treated by corrective studied actions.
- A senior management should make rebounds and planned periodic reviews of the organization and implementation of the Subject system, solving the problems of implementation to be assured senior management to match the organization of the management system and requirements contained in the standard ISO 9001.
- The organization should select and contract with the point of certification that is recognized and which is in coordination with the management representative of the organization arranging the timing of the audit,
- The issuer of the certificate checks on the organization and in the case that the audit was positive, organization is granted ISO 9001 certification which is subject to periodic audits by the donor to ensure the continuity of matching the organization with the requirements of international standard.
- The benefits of getting ISO 9001 certification.
Analysis of all the organization’s operations in accordance with the international standard
- Documentation of all procedures and systems of work and record all operating events
- Push-ups training
- Entry new mechanisms of action
- Focus on the customer satisfaction of internal and external
- Always claim compatibility and performance
- International recognition and improve the image of the organization
- Meet the essential criterion in the domestic market and the international
- Mechanism of rehabilitation of the facilities to get ISO 9001 certification