What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is a globally recognized standard for quality management systems. Companies need to follow specific requirements in order to become recognized as ISO 9001. This set of standards can be sought by companies in any country, and of any size, which is one of the reasons that it is so popular and well known. It is important to note that this standard is not about any given product quality, but instead it is focused on the processes used within a facility. By following proven strategies throughout a company, the products made will naturally be of the highest quality.

How to Become ISO 9001 Certified

If a company wants to become ISO 9001 certified they must meet all the requirements. This starts with following all the required steps for implementing an ISO 9001 quality management system. Once this is done, an audit will be performed by a certification body to determine if the performance of the company is in line with the established requirements. The audit will be based on whatever the latest version of requirements is published. After a company passes this audit, they will be ISO 9001 certified and can begin displaying this fact in marketing and other places. All organizations that are ISO 9001 certified must re-certify every three years to maintain this recognition. Each re-certification will be done according to the latest version, which may require some updates or other changes to the quality management system being used.

Why Seek ISO 9001 Certification?

There are many benefits associated with becoming ISO 9001 certified. The biggest benefit is that it means the organization is following a proven and internationally recognized quality management system. In addition to that, companies that attain this certification are able to use various logos and verbiage showing that they are ISO 9001 certified. Since this is a very recognizable and highly respected accomplishment, this can help to drive sales, get new customers, and much more.