The success of business organizations rests heavily on the appropriate ISO 9001 standards applied. AS/NZS 4801 SafetyISO Standards Achieving 9001 certification.To achieve 9001 certification is neither too difficult, nor too expensive. The process of getting 9001 certification is given below.

1st step

The first step is decision making. Here your company's top management will decide whether or not they need ISO 9001 certification. For that your management should be aware of ISO 9001 from a business point of view. At this step a concise training program is also designed to fulfill the needs of the company's executives.

2nd step

After the management of your company has made its decision to go for ISO 9001 certification, your company will then be moving towards ISO 9001 implementation. They will need to appoint an "ISO 9001 Management Representative". The person who will be appointed as a representative should be an expert in ISO 9001 and will be your company's point person.

3rd step

After completing the previous 2 steps, your company will have to plan out ISO 9001 implementation. You should first find out which ISO 9001 requirements your company already satisfies and in which areas it will need to put in extra effort. After this analysis your company will be able to plan the ISO 9001 implementation project. This analysis could be better performed through questionnaires.

4th step

To avoid gossip and rumors, inform all the employees about you ISO 9001 certification plan as soon as possible. Explain to them the concept of ISO 9001 certification and how it will affect them in order to get their support. Assure them to alleviate their fears and misconceptions.

5th step

In order to fulfill ISO 9001 requirements you will need extensive documentation, which can be very difficult and time consuming. Using a good ISO 9001 template which provides detailed customization instructions can save time. Since the template will have a significant impact, the selection of the template is very important.

6th step

At this step the whole work process will be restructured. Company management and staff should be notified of changes in work processes as formalized in ISO 9001. Implement ISO 9001 documentation throughout the company. The company can inform employees through a newsletter.

7th step

As per ISO 9001 requirements it is the responsibility of your company to conduct an internal audit of your ISO 9001 system at regular periods. Before you become ISO 9001 certified a complete internal audit is required. Therefore you will need to appoint internal auditors skilled at evaluating your company's compliance with ISO 9001 standards. You will need to train them and have them perform at least one internal audit.

8th step

After hiring an auditor your company will need to appoint an independent ISO 9001 registrar with formal authority to issue ISO 9001 certificates to your company. The ISO 9001 registrar should be an experienced organization that fits your company's individual circumstances.

9th step

The most important step to get the certificate is to pass an ISO 9001 external audit. You need to train and prepare your internal auditors before they meet and interact with external auditors. Don't get a nervous and uninformed employee to spoil your chances.

Final step

The last step after getting your ISO 9001 certification is maintaining the ISO 9001 certificate. The ISO 9001 certificate can also be used to show it to the public and generate goodwill and positive publicity.

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AS/NZS 4801 SafetyISO Standards: Find everything you need to know about getting certifications