What does it mean to get an ISO certification?
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a management system that measures an organization’s quality processes. Obtaining an ISO certification means that your organization guarantees that all its processes work correctly and efficiently to make services and products meet customers’ expectations.
There are two core steps to achieve this recognition:
Implementation: the processes are adapted to the requirements of the ISO standards.
Certification: an authorized entity audits compliance with the requirements and issues a certificate.
7 reasons to get an ISO certification
There are many reasons to accept the challenge of obtaining an ISO certification. The most important are:
It’s a requirement for working with some companies and state administrations.
It’s an advantage when competing with larger companies.
It allows companies to improve internal management.
It enhances efficiency and performance in processes.
It improves companies’ services, products, and brand identity.
It affords companies access to new markets and business scenarios.
It’s a worldwide recognized standard.
An ISO certificate may be a requirement for some clients, and for others it may be a deciding factor when choosing a supplier. This certificate increases your clients’ confidence that your organization will meet standards that guarantee high-quality service.
Some companies only do business with certificated organizations because they ensure that management systems and processes are constantly evaluated and tested.
Implementation of ISO Standards
There exist three ways to implement the ISO Standards in your organization:
Internal implementation
This is carried out by dedicated experts wthin the organization, and so the integration of the Quality Management System with internal processes is guaranteed. However, it isn't the best option if you don’t have the necessary resources, and it usually takes more time.
External implementation
The whole implementation is outsourced to an external consultant; it is helpful if you have a short deadline to obtain the certification. The drawback of this approach lies in the integration of the Quality Management System with the organization's processes, because after the certification is obtained the company still needs to adopt the management system into the organizational culture.
Mixed implementation
Implementing the Quality Management System is entrusted to the organization's staff, with the assistance of a nearshoring organization.
The advantages of this approach are:
Advance properly and get an ISO certificate on time.
Implement the system without overloading the staff.
Maintain an independent point of view that helps to improve continuously.
Steps to obtain an ISO certification
This is the path organizations should follow when they decide to embark on the journey to achieve ISO Standards.
Perform a situation analysis
First, carry out an initial evaluation of the state of compliance with the ISO Certification Standard before going into detail regarding what efforts will be needed. This will save costs by knowing where you are strong and where you really need external support.
uqality's Audit Plan compares the organization's policies and procedures against the standard's requirements, and accredits compliance with the necessary evidence.
Create an implementation plan
Implement a Quality Management System in a structured way and with a well-defined action plan before starting the project. Set out the different tasks based on the analysis of the situation. It is helpful to have people with experience in implementing management systems to achieve this goal.
Provide training to organization members
Management Systems based on ISO Standards emphasize training programs. In addition to meeting the requirements for an ISO Certificate, proper training will make every task easier, faster and smoother.
Conduct internal audits
The organization should evaluate itself to see if it meets all the standard requirements.
The best option is to have an external auditor like uqality who can carry out this evaluation with the necessary knowledge and independence.
Implement the management system and check its effectiveness
Smoothly integrate a well-implemented system into the organization's processes. If a management system becomes a hindrance, it will cease to be functional and will have to be maintained based on specific and ineffective efforts.
Request a certification audit from ISO professionals
Once the system is implemented, you must select the company that certifies the ISO Standard.
An independent entity will send an auditor to conduct an audit of the activities within the scope of their certificate. They will visit the company's departments and verify that the procedures and work instructions are being implemented and followed by both management and employees.
After the ISO certification audit process, they will issue the ISO Certificate.
ISO 9001
The International Standard ISO 9001 focuses on achieving quality by implementing a Quality Management System (QMS). As a result, this standard has become a benchmark for quality worldwide. The requirements specified in the ISO 9000 series standards are generic and applicable to all organizations regardless of type and size.
The ISO 9001 Standard establishes the requirements for a Quality Management System, which allows a company to demonstrate its ability to satisfy customer requirements, and to prove this ability to any interested party.
A Quality Management System, according to ISO 9001, is a tool focused on continuous quality improvement and customer satisfaction. The requirements include the periodic re-certification of the system and regular internal audits.
It is advisable to perpetuate an ongoing consultancy to maintain the implemented ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Furthermore, the maintenance and periodic monitoring of the ISO 9001 System, adapted to the needs of each organization, helps to successfully save both internal and external audits for the renewal of the certification.
Benefits of ISO 9001
The implementation of an ISO 9001 Standard is a differentiation strategy. It allows to stand out in the market, demonstrating that the organization's management is governed by the quality standards incorporated by the ISO 9001 Standard:
Efficiency in the processes and activities of the company.
Substantial improvement in customer satisfaction.
A communication tool to improve the image of the company.
Increased access to the market without border limits.
Improved internal communication and employee satisfaction.
ISO 25001
An ISO 25001 is a Software Quality Certification.
The standards of the ISO / IEC 25000 family, known as SQuaRE (Software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation), create a common framework for evaluating the quality of a software product.
A software quality certification with ISO / IEC 25001 allows both organizations that develop software and organizations that buy it to have an exact knowledge of the quality of the products.
Benefits of ISO 25001
Similar to the benefits of ISO 9001, the implementation of the ISO 25001 Standard is a differentiation strategy that shows that your organization produces certified quality software.
Ensure delivery times and reduction of product failures.
Establish service-level agreements by defining specific quality parameters that the product must meet before being delivered.
Detects defects in the software and proceeds to their elimination before delivery, which entails cost savings in the maintenance phase.
Evaluate and control the performance of the software. Ensure that you will produce results taking into account time and resource constraints.
Ensure that the software respects the necessary levels of security (confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, etc.).
Decisions you must take to get an ISO
Certifying under the ISO Quality Standard means meeting specific requirements. But uqality goes further. We make it one of the bases for the sustainable growth of your organization.
Why choose uqality?
uqality has already helped many companies to get an ISO Certification. One of them is Keepcon, a software company that develops a tool to help companies to better understand users’ conversations.
Generally, the obstacle to achieving a goal lies in people's resistance to change. We know how to address that risk. Our team has the experience and technical knowledge to provide different alternatives for a quick, easy and efficient implementation.