ISO 9000 Certification
- The International Standards Organization (ISO) is an alliance of 63 member countries formed to promote and develop global standardization. In 1987, ISO introduced the 9000 series of standards, providing a common reference framework for agreements between independent parties.
- The ISO 9000 standard outlines guidelines for establishing and maintaining an effective quality management system. It focuses primarily on operational and organizational processes—such as defining responsibilities, reporting structures, and procedural controls—rather than evaluating the product itself. These standards aim to ensure consistency and reliability in the production process, enabling organizations to meet agreed-upon quality requirements.
Types of ISO 9000 Quality Standards
ISO 9000 Certification:
The ISO 9000 series of standards is based on the assumption that if a proper stage is followed for production, then good quality products are bound to follow automatically. The types of industries to which the various ISO standards apply are as follows.
ISO 9001: This standard applies to the organizations engaged in design, development, production, and servicing of goods. This is the standard that applies to most software development organizations.
ISO 9003: This standard applies to organizations that are involved only in the installation and testing of the products. For example, Gas companies.
ISO 9000 Certification Process
When an organization decides to obtain ISO 9000 certification, it must apply to an accredited ISO registrar. The certification process generally involves the following stages:
Application:
Once the organization decides to pursue ISO certification, it submits an application to the chosen registrar for registration.
Pre-Assessment:
The registrar conducts an initial review to get a general understanding of the organization’s processes and readiness for certification.
Document Review & Adequacy Audit:
The registrar examines the organization’s quality management documents to ensure they meet ISO 9000 requirements. Suggestions for improvement are provided, if necessary.
Compliance Audit:
The registrar evaluates whether the organization has implemented the suggested improvements and is complying with the ISO standards.
Registration:
Upon successful completion of all audits, the registrar grants ISO 9000 certification to the organization.
Ongoing Surveillance:
Even after certification, the registrar conducts periodic inspections to ensure the organization continues to comply with ISO standards.
