ISO CERTIFICATION

ISO- INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION for STANDARDISATION

An Overview

The International Organization for Standardisation is an independent, non governmental, International standard setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organisations.

ISO Certification ensures that an organisation runs its business using international standards for products, services and processes that meet customer and regulatory requirements in terms of maintaining quality, safety and their efficiency.

Why ISO Certification

To sustain in this era of a competitive business world, one needs to gain the trust of its customers and its government. So, thus the ISO Standards help you to achieve.

You could increase tour success in tenders, improve internal efficiency, reduce costs or simply prove to your potential customers that you are credible.

ISO Certification certifies that a management system, manufacturing system, manufacturing process, service or documentation procedures has all the requirements for standardisation and quality assurance. It exists in many areas from the food production industry, energy management and social responsibility to medical devices.

Each Certification has separate standards and criteria and is classified numerically. Each standard has its own benefits within specific industries.

ISO CERTIFICATION

ISO, is an organisation/ body  which authorises the certification body to issue the certificate. It implies that ISO doesn’t issue certificates on its own. Rather, certification is done by external certification bodies in India. However. ISO’s Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO) has produced a number of standards related to the certification process, which are used by certification bodies.

Selecting the Type of Certification:

There are various types of ISO Certifications. You need to select the certification requirement depending upon the nature and type of your business.

Choose a Certification Body

While choosing a Certification Body, you should evaluate several certification bodies before selecting with the one.

Following points must be checked before selecting the body for certification

1.Check if the certification body uses the relevant CASCO standard

2.Check if it is accredited.

Accreditation is not compulsory, and non – accreditation does not necessarily mean it is not reputable. The company should meet the requirements of Accreditation Agency.

3. To find an accredited certification body, contact the national accreditation body in your country or visit the International Accreditation Forum.

Documents required for ISO Certification

1. Name of the Organisation
2. Address of the Organisation- full with Pin code
3. Detail Business Activity of the Organisation
4. Registration Certificate of the Entity
5. Invoice Sample copy of the Organisation
6. GST Certificate, if registered in GST
7. Number of employees working

Process for ISO Certification in India:

1. Selecting an ISO Registrar

Accreditation Bodies maintain directories of the Registrar organizations that they accredit. Registrars must meet the requirements of the ISO Accreditation Bodies. Select a registrar that has experience within the scope category of your specific industry

2. Make an Application

A company and a registrar will agree on the application contract. This is an important step of the ISO Registration Process because it defines the rights and obligations of both parties, and includes liability issues, confidentiality and access rights.

3. Documentation Review

The ISO registrar will Assess the Readiness by reviewing all the documents and quality standards related to various policies or procedures being followed in the organisation to evaluate and identify the discrepancies, if any.

4. Assessment for Registration Audit

An ISO Audit is conducted based on the documents provided. The central ISo company checks for the genuineness of all the documents and confirms whether the company is eligible for the ISO certification or not.

5. Prepare an Action Plan

After the ISO registrar notifies the weakness and omissions in the system, you need to make an action plan to make them good to meet all the Quality Management Standards.

6. On site Audit

After assessing and correcting with all the non conformities, The Registrar will conduct an On site Audit to verify all the changes that you made to resolve the non- conformities.

7. Registration certificate

The ISO will grant Registration certification for the 3 years after conforming with all the quality standards.

8. Surveillance Audit

Surveillance audit is conducted primarily to ensure that the organisation is maintaining ISO quality standards.

Cost Involved in ISO Certification

The cost for certification varies and calculated by the Certification agency on the following basis for each organisation.

1. Number of employees
2. Number of Processes
3. Level of risk associated with the scope of services of the organisation
4. Complexity of the management system
5. The number of working shifts etc.

Advantages of ISO Certification

• Increase in efficiency, productivity and profit
• Globally recognised standards
• Competitive Advantage
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Provide an improved customer experience
• Boost staff performance and overall productivity
• Professional cultural development
• Defined Processes
• More Business/ Different Markets
• More consistent quality
• Greater Management visibility
• External Audits