ISO 9001 - Quality Management Systems

Introduction

Most companies now realise that Quality Accreditation enhances their image in the business community and with prospective customers. Demonstrating that a company has a quality culture underpinning the supply of their products and services is an important management challenge.

An effective ISO 9001 Quality Management System can improve customer satisfaction, business efficiency and achieve considerable cost savings whilst at the same time positively enhancing your Company image.

The ISO 9001:2008 Series comprises of the following sub-systems:

• ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and Vocabulary (this supersedes ISO 8402 and ISO 9000-1);
• ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems – Requirements;
• ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems - Guidelines for Performance Improvement (this supersedes ISO 9004-1); and
• ISO 19011 Guidelines on Auditing Quality and Environmental Management Systems.

What is the ISO 9001 Standard?

ISO 9001 is an International Standard Certification that was developed by the International Standard Organisation (ISO) Technical Committee for the Quality Management and Quality Assurance System. ISO 9001 Certification involves verifying the Quality System of an organisation under the ISO Standard Procedures. This helps to build up the best quality products for the organisation, the final suppliers and users.

In order to achieve ISO 9001:2008 Certification, organisations have to undergo a third party audit and to be registered with an accreditation body.

For ISO 9001:2008, the requirement standard includes:

• Quality Management System,
• Management Responsibility,
• Resource Management,
• Product Realisation, and
• Measurement Analysis and Improvement.

Benefits

The benefits of obtaining ISO 9001:2008 Certification are:

• Enhanced business competence,
• Integrated management systems,
• Strengthened effectiveness and efficiency,
• Upgraded reliability,
• Increased customer satisfaction,
• Profit maximisation through the elimination of unnecessary costs, and
• Elimination of non-compliances and fundamental defects.

Principles of ISO 9001

The Standard is process model-based and has been developed using a core set of eight quality management principles defined in ISO 9001:2008 - Quality Management Systems Fundamentals and Vocabulary and ISO 9004:2000, Quality Management Systems Guidelines for Performance Improvements. They are:

• Customer Focus: An organisation depends on its customers and should therefore understand current and future customer needs, meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
• Leadership: Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of an organisation. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving an organisation's objectives.
• Involvement: People at all levels are the essence of an organisation and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organisation's benefit.
• Process Approach: A desired result is achieved more efficiently when related resources and activities are managed as a process.
• System Approach to Management: Identifying, understanding and managing a system of inter-related processes as a system contributes to an organisation's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
• Continual Improvement: Continual improvement of an organisation's overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organisation.
• Factual approach to decision making: Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.

Mutually beneficial supplier relationships: An organisation and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.

Quality Certification

Most companies now realise that Quality Accreditation enhances their image in the business community and with prospective customers. Demonstrating that a company has a quality culture underpinning the supply of their products and services is an important management challenge.

An effective ISO 9001 Quality Management System can improve customer satisfaction, business efficiency and achieve considerable cost savings whilst at the same time positively enhancing your Company image.

Impartiality and Independence

DAS Certification (AS/NZ) is independently accredited by UKAS for the certification of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.

Service Tailored to Your Business

We provide a certification service to satisfy your business by:

• Programming audit dates to suit your business requirements;
• Matching auditor skills to your quality, information security, products, technology, processes and services;
• Utilising our own independently certified Quality Management System Auditors and Technical Specialists;
• Applying an open-book approach to auditing; and
• Identifying the areas within the Quality System that add most value to your organisation.

Your Route to Certification

Enquiry and Free Estimate

Following your enquiry and completion of our application and questionnaire, we review that information and provide you with a free quote for services. There are no fees until you accept the quote and return the signed contract that includes the conditions for certification. We contact you to start the certification process, agree dates for the Stage 1 Audit and assign an Auditor who will liaise directly with you to finalise the audit arrangements.

Stage 1 Audit

The Stage 1 Audit (part of which is generally conducted on site) provides a focus for planning the Main Audit. We review documentation specific to your business and work with your staff to quickly resolve any problems.

Main Audit Visit

The Main Audit measures the effectiveness of the Quality Management System in managing your quality requirements, products, processes and services.

The audit is carried out alongside your own people, with results and findings openly discussed and reviewed. At the end of the audit, a report is prepared for acknowledgement and acceptance by your Company Representative. Any corrective actions arising from the audit are discussed and any forward plan of work agreed, including a follow-up visit if needed.

Certification Approval and Surveillance Programme

When your Quality Management System complies with ISO 9001, a certificate of approval is issued which is valid for three years, subject to satisfactory on-going maintenance of your Quality Management System. Verification is through an audit programme that is carried out by yearly surveillance visits organised to fit in with your business requirements.

Three-yearly Reassessment Visit

Every three years, your Quality Management System needs to be reassessed.

Following satisfactory reassessment, your certificate is reissued for a further three years.

Figure 1: The Route to Certification.