Discover the process of how organisations receive and maintain ISO certification. Increase your chances of certification with WWISE implementation.
Take your products and services international, export with confidence, and open exclusive markets with ISO certification. ISO certification ensures you are held to a higher standard and that your products and services are of high quality. Ensure you are complying with the relevant local and international laws and regulations with ISO Management Systems.
What is ISO?
The International Organization for Standardization is a global independent standard development organisation made up of over 160 countries. ISO standards ensure all goods and services are all on the same level of quality regardless of where products and services are being developed. The ultimate goal of ISO is to improve worldwide quality, increasing levels of safety and security for all.
The most common ISO Management Systems organisations receive certification for include:
- ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems
- ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems
- ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management Systems
- ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management Systems
Why pursue ISO certification?
ISO certification will set your organisation apart within your industry as many tenders require ISO certification (especially for ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems). ISO certification provides proof to your clients, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies that your organisation is operating with the best practices and is aimed at excellence.
The process of becoming ISO certified
Below is the process from start to finish on the ISO certification process, which can take us at WWISE anywhere between 3-6 months to implement. Although this process may seem daunting, especially if your goal is to bring the entire process, our in-house ISO experts will walk you through this process and provide the guidance you need.
- Planning for the process
The first decision you will need to make is choosing your plan of action. You will have three options available to you:
Contract-based work with an ISO Consultant: ISO consultants advise your team on what to do but do not offer support for implementation.
Hiring an ISO Implementation Team: ISO implementers ensure your system is implemented aligned to the ISO standard, providing you with the best chance of ISO certification.
Doing it yourself: Investing in toolkits to help your teams implement your ISO standard; this usually leads to the most gaps and has the biggest chance of failing an audit.
The main goal of step one is deciding which option will better support your teams in planning. You will be preparing and collecting all your relevant documentation and assets while providing training to employees and conducting gap analysis.
1. Creating and standardising your documentation
Your next step will be filling in gaps in documentation, including creating any required documentation you do not currently have on hand. This is often the most time-consuming part of the process. You will have to interpret each ISO Management System requirement in relation to your organisation and develop processes and procedures.
Once all required documentation is in order, it must be standardised to ensure consistency and that everyone across the organisation uses up-to-date documentation.
2. Implementing the ISO Management System
The next step after standardising the documentation is to implement your ISO Management System.
This process is usually implemented by introducing the new processes, policies, and procedures to employees and helping them adapt and improve their work processes accordingly. It is crucial to understand that it will take some time for everyone to adjust to your new standards.
3. Your first internal audit
Once your teams have absorbed the new processes, your next step is to start conducting regular internal audits. This is usually done with ISO consultants and implementers and is focused on finding gaps between your current conformance to the ISO standard and where the standard requires you to conform.
4. Addressing findings and aligning to the standard
If any non-conformances are found during your internal audit, your next step is for your team to conduct a Root Cause Analysis finding that can assist your teams in understanding exactly how and why an issue occurred and how to prevent the prevent the issue from recurring. This process is called corrective action and helps your teams plan projects and be aware of potential issues.
5. Facing the certification audit
Your next step is to conduct the certification audit. It will be your responsibility to choose the correct independent, accredited registrar for your organisation and industry. The official certification audit includes two phases, and with our expert guidance, you will be prepared well in advance on what to expect.
If you pass both phases in the certification audit, your ISO Management System will be approved, and you will receive your official certification, which is valid for three years.
What happens after ISO certification?
Receiving your certification does not mean you will not have to work on your systems. You will require consistent support to ensure your management system is up to date, dependable, and able to provide your organisation with numerous benefits.
Maintenance and annual audits
You will be required to pass an annual audit from your accredited registrar to ensure your ISO Management System is up to date and aligned to the standard. This will require consistent maintenance; it is essential for your team not to neglect your ISO Management System and instead have a maintenance plan in place.
Recertification
After three years, it is essential for you to receive recertification if you are interested in keeping your certification, otherwise, it will lapse and no longer be valid. The recertification audit is long and just as thorough and difficult to pass as the certification audit. Ensuring you have maintenance plans in place will give you the best chances of keeping your certification.
WWISE experts to secure your ISO certification
Our ISO experts have assisted over 720 clients in implementing various ISO standards and supporting each organisation through ISO certification (with a 100% certification rate). This ensures that you will have access to the best ISO experts who can implement the entire system for you and your teams, save you time and costs, and ensure you will have no surprises.
Have any questions about ISO certification or implementation experts? Contact us at 012 644 0142 or email us at admin@wwise.co.za and speak to an ISO expert today.