ISO 9001:2015 - Quality Management Systems

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is defined as the internationally recognized standard that specifies requirements for a Quality Management Systems (QMS). It is the most widely used standard in the world, with over 1 million certificates issued to various organizations. The current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.

All the requirements of ISO 9001 are generic and are intended to be applicable to any organization, regardless of its type or size, or the products and services it provides.

ISO 9001 provides a framework and set of Quality Management Principles that ensure an approach to the management of your organization to consistently satisfy customers and other stakeholders:

Organizations that have adopted the principles of ISO 9001 regularly realize considerable improvements in their day-to-day operations, with business gains.

Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification

ISO 9001 helps organizations to ensure their customers consistently receive high quality products and services, which in turn brings many benefits where some benefits are mentioned below:
  • Improved Process Performance
  • Increased Customer Satisfaction
  • Reduced Operating Costs
  • Efficient Management Approach
  • Increased Focus on Risks
  • Greater Compliance
  • Gain Competitive Advantage
  • Improved stakeholder relationships
  • International Recognition

Journey to Certification

ISO 9001 Certification is a 3rd party audit performed by MQA, during the audit we will verify that your organization is following the requirements of ISO 9001, if received positive results then we will issue an ISO 9001 certificate. This certification is then maintained through annual surveillance audits by MQA, with re-certification of the ISO 9001 Certification after three years. See below cycle to know how you can get started on the road to certification:

MQA Certification Cycle

Year 1
Step 1.1 (Initial Application)
  • Client request a quotation.
  • MQA will assess Client’s requirements.
  • MQA will share proposal with client.
  • Client signed the 3-year Certification Contract with MQA.
Step 1.2 (Certification Audit)
  • MQA will conduct:
    1. Gap Assessment (Readiness Review)
    2. Stage-1 Audit (Documentation Review)
    3. Stage-2 Audit (Implementation Review)
  • MQA Auditor will share the audit reports to MQA’s Certification Decision Committee.
Step 1.3 (Certificate Management)
  • If certification decision is positive, then certificate is issued by MQA.
  • If certification decision is negative, then verification audit is planned by MQA.
  • Client will receive the MQA Portal access to:
    1. View the Audit Reports.
    2. Download the ISO Certificate.
    3. Review & Respond to Audit Findings, etc.
Year 2 & 3
Step 2.1 (Renewal Request)
  • MQA request for renewal.
  • Client agreed for Surveillance Audit.
Step 2.2 (Surveillance Audit)
  • MQA will conduct Surveillance Audit
  • MQA Auditor will share the audit reports to MQA’s Certificate Decision Committee.
Step 2.3 (Certificate Management)
  • If no critical non-conformity found, then certificate is renewed by MQA.
  • If any critical nonconformity found, then verification audit is planned by MQA.
  • Client have the MQA Portal access to:
    1. View the Audit Reports.
    2. Download the ISO Certificate.
    3. Review & Respond to Audit Findings, etc.

Why was ISO 9001 revised?

All ISO standards are reviewed every five years to serve the business community and maintain its relevance in today’s marketplace. ISO 9001:2015 is designed to respond to the latest trends and be compatible with other management systems such as ISO 14001, 45001, etc.

ISO 9001:2015 is the latest standard which sets out the criteria for a Quality Management System and is the only standard in the family that can be certified to.

What are the main changes to the standard?

The key changes relate to:
  • The new version follows a new, higher level structure to make it easier to use in conjunction with other management system standards as follows Annex SL.
  • Greater focus on leadership.
  • More emphasis on Risk Based Approach.

What are the impacts if you are certified to ISO 9001:2008?

As of now ISO 9001:2008 is an obsolete standard and if you’re ISO 9001:2008 certified then you’ve to upgrade your company to ISO 9001:2015 version before September 2018 otherwise your ISO 9001 certificate will be expired automatically and it will impact your market reputation.

MQA help you to certify your organization to ISO 9001:2015.

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