ISO Registration Process

06/06/2023

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Process of ISO Certification in India

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ISO Registration Process refers to International Organization for Standardisation. It is an independent organization that provides standards in terms of quality, safety, and efficiency of products and services provided by businesses. With the increasing competition among the business, it is important to deliver high-quality goods & services in order to sustain in the market. ISO Registration Process certification helps to improve your business’s credibility as well as the overall efficiency of the business.

ISO Certification Process in India

Choosing the type of ISO Certification

First of all, you need to choose the type of ISO certification required for your business. There are various types of ISO certification available such as :

ISO 9001 2008 – Quality Management
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
ISO 27001 – Information Security Management
ISO 22008 – Food Safety Management and so on.

Choosing an ISO Certification Body

It must be noted that ISO itself does not provide certification to the companies. Certification is done by external bodies. It is very important that you choose a recognized and credible certification body. While choosing the ISO registrar, you should keep the following in mind:

Evaluate several ISO Certification service providers.
Check if they are following the CASCO standards. CASCO is the ISO committee that works on issues relating to conformity assessment.
Check whether it is accredited or not. Accreditation is not compulsory but they must meet the requirements of ISO Accreditation bodies.

Process for ISO Certification in India

Create an application /contract

The applicant and the registrar should agree on a contract. This contract usually defines the rights and obligations of both parties and includes liability issues, confidentiality, and access rights.

Quality Documents Review

The ISO auditor will view all your quality manuals and documents related to various policies and procedures being followed in the organization. A review of existing work will help the ISO auditor to identify the possible gaps against the requirements stipulated in the ISO standards.

Make an Action Plan

After the ISO auditor communicates the existing gaps in your organization, you should prepare an action plan to eliminate these gaps. Prepare the list of the required tasks to be performed to bring the desired changes in your organization. You may be required to give training to your employees to work efficiently while adapting to new procedures. Make all the employees aware of the ISO standards in terms of work efficiency and quality standards.

Initial Certification Audit

The initial certification audit is divided into two categories- Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Stage 1: The ISO auditor will audit the changes made by you in the organization. They will then try to identify the possible non-conformities in your systems and procedures to the desired quality management system. They will divide these non-conformities into minor and major non-conformities. The applicant must carefully assess all these non-conformities and get them aligned as per the desired quality standards through modification in the techniques and processes used by the organization.

Stage 2: After all the required changes are done in the organization, the ISO auditor does the final auditing. The auditor will check whether all the non-conformities have been eliminated or not as per ISO quality standards. If the ISO auditor is satisfied, they will prepare the final ISO audit report and forward it to the registrar.

Completing the ISO Certification

After all, non-conformities are addressed and all the findings are put in the ISO audit report, the registrar will grant you the ISO certification.

Surveillance Audits

A surveillance audit is basically conducted to ensure that ISO quality standards are being maintained by the organization. It is conducted from time to time.

The cost involved in the ISO Certification Process

The cost of getting ISO certification is not fixed and varies from organization to organization. The ISO certification agency calculates the cost of ISO certification separately for each organization after considering on different parameters such as-

Number of employees
Number of Processes
Level of risk associated with the scope of services of the organization
The complexity of the management system
The number of working shifts etc.

The time involved in the ISO Certification Process

The time taken in completing the whole process of ISO certification also varies from organization to organization. A fair idea can be given by the ISO certification agency after assessing the size of the company. Generally, the time required to complete the process of ISO certification is approximate :

Small organizations: 6-8 months
Medium organizations: 8-12 months
Large organization: 12-15 months

Disclaimer: The materials provided herein are solely for information purposes. No attorney-client relationship is created when you access or use the site or the materials. The information presented on this site does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon for such purposes or used as a substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

Overview of ISO Certification

ISO certificate is a certification that provides standards to organizations and thus shows the way to innovation and development of trade. ISO Certification is mandatory to form certain standards that ensure products and services’ quality, safety, and efficiency. It also ensures that the products and services of the company meet the customer and regulatory requirements. It certifies that the company’s management system complies with an ISO standard beneficial to the business, clients, and employees/team.

Additionally, ISO Certification helps in demonstrating continuous improvement. It also certifies that the following process has fulfilled all the standardization and quality check criteria. The certification is issued in various fields, and every ISO certification has a different set of criteria, such as:

The Management System,
Manufacturing Process, and
Service or the Documentation Process

Essential Prerequisites for ISO Registration

Getting the proper ISO 9001 Certification.
Finding the best ISO registrar for certification.
Perception of the customer.
Improving the outcome and product services.

Common Categories of ISO Certification

The categories of ISO Certification are given below:

ISO 9001-2015
ISO 14001
ISO 10012
OHSAS 18001
ISO 20000
ISO 22000
ISO 27001
ISO 31000
ISO 13485
ISO 17025
ISO 11135
ISO 26000
CE MARK
ISO 50001
HALAL
GMP

Primary Elements of ISO 9001:2015

The primary elements of ISO 9001:2015 are-

Leadership
Major focus on customer
Process approach
People’s Involvement
Persistent improvement
A Structural Approach to management
Fact-based approach to decision making.
Mutually beneficial supplier relationships

Benefits of ISO Registration

The followings are the benefits of ISO Registration:

The explanation of all the benefits mentioned above is:

Enhances Business Efficiency

ISO registration plays an essential role in building credibility in overseas business and enhancing business efficiency.

Improves Marketability

ISO Certification widens the market potential of the company.

Better Customer Services

ISO helps to improve customer service and satisfaction to encourage the organization/company to deliver the best quality services.

Global Credibility

If the organization/company wants to expand the business globally, ISO Certification plays an essential role to build credibility.

Improves Product Quality

ISO Certification improves product quality, i.e., it should match the quality of international standards. If the standard does not match the product, it will face non-acceptance on the grounds of quality issues.

Helpful In Government Tenders

ISO helps the in-government tenders and would give the businesses an advantage over other competitors.

Documents Required for ISO Certification

For documentation, the first step is choosing the type of ISO Certification required for the business. The essential documents required for ISO Registration/Certification are:

Identity and address proof of the applicant along with a copy of PAN Card and Aadhar card.
Passport Size Photographs of the applicant
Utility Bill or Electricity Bill
Copy of Sale deed in case of owned property.
If the place of business is a rented property, a Rent Agreement is required.
In the case of a company, a Certificate of Incorporation, the MOA, and AOA.

Procedure for ISO Registration

The following are the steps to be followed for obtaining the ISO Certificate or for ISO Registration:

The broad discussion of each step is as follows:

Step-1-Choosing the Kind of Certification

The very first step is to choose the kind of certification that the Company/organization requires.

Step-2-File an application

Once the ISO standard is selected, the applicant shall apply a respective form. The application shall include the power and responsibilities of the applicant and the certification body.

Step-3-Submission of Documents

The application shall be filed with the requisite documents, and the ISO certification body shall review the same. ISO Certification body will review all the quality manuals and documents related to various policies being followed in the company/organization.

Step-4-Initial Review of The Quality Management System

To identify any significant weakness in the Company/Organization, the Pre-assessment, i.e., the initial review of the Quality Management System in a company/organization is reviewed by the Registrar and will also provide an opportunity to correct the deficiencies before the regular registration assessment is conducted.

Step-5-Preparing an Action Plan

Once the initial review of the Quality management system is reviewed, the ISO registrar notifies the existing gaps in the organization. To eliminate such gaps, the applicant has to prepare an action plan. The action plan should contain a list of the requisite action to be taken to meet the Quality Management System.

Step -6-On-Premises Audit by The Registrar

The Registrar will conduct an on-premises inspection to audit the changes made in the company/organization. However, if the Registrar finds that the requisite changes do not meet the requirements of the ISO standards, the Registrar will categorize the organization into two categories depending on severity. The categories are:

Minor Non-compliances
Major Non-compliances

Note: The ISO registration cannot proceed until all significant non-compliances are closed by the Registrar while doing a re-audit.

Step-7-Obtaining ISO Certificate

The Registrar will issue the ISO certification when all the non-compliances are resolved and are updated in the ISO audit report.

Types of Audits conducted under ISO Registration

Under ISO Registration, an ISO audit is conducted to check the authenticity of the business plan and records of the company/organization.

The followings are the types of audits conducted under ISO Registration:

Internal Audit

Internal Audit is conducted by trained staff. However, it can also be done by an external organization.

Supplier Audit

Lead auditors do supplier audits in the organization. It is conducted to ensure that the suppliers are functioning correctly and the organization is getting the perfect supply of products/services.

Certification Audit

The auditors of Certification Bodies must carry out certification audits.

CorpBiz Assistance for ISO Registration

Purchase a Plan for Expert Assistance
Add Queries Regarding ISO Registration
Provide Documents to Corpbiz Expert
Prepare Application for ISO Registration
Complete all Admissibility Criteria for Preliminary Screening
Complete Procedural Actions
Get your ISO Registration done!

Certification

Certification can be a useful tool to add credibility, by demonstrating that your product or service meets the expectations of your customers. For some industries, certification is a legal or contractual requirement.

ISO does not perform certification

At ISO, we develop International Standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, but we are not involved in their certification and do not issue certificates. This is performed by external certification bodies, thus a company or organization cannot be certified by ISO.

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. Read more about CASCO standards.

Certification – the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements.

Accreditation – the formal recognition by an independent body, generally known as an accreditation body, that a certification body operates according to international standards.

Choosing a certification body

When choosing a certification body, you should:
Evaluate several certification bodies.
Check if the certification body uses the relevant CASCO standard
Check if it is accredited. Accreditation provides independent confirmation of competence. However, accreditation is not compulsory, and non-accreditation does not necessarily mean the certification body is not reputable. To find an accredited certification body, contact the national accreditation body in your country or visit International Accreditation Forum CertSearch.

Complaints about certification

ISO is interested to hear from you if you feel that any ISO standard, including ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, is being misused. Read more about making a complaint to ISO.

International organizations in cooperation with ISO for accreditation

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is the world Association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation Bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment in the fields of management systems, products, services, personnel, etc.

ILAC is the international organization for accreditation bodies operating in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011 and involved in the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies including calibration laboratories (using ISO/IEC 17025), testing laboratories (using ISO/IEC 17025), medical testing laboratories (using ISO 15189), inspection bodies (using ISO/IEC 17020) and proficiency testing providers (using ISO/IEC 17043).

ISO Survey

Find out how many valid certificates there are in each country for the main ISO management system standards.

Can I use the ISO logo?

The ISO logo is a registered trademark and cannot be used by anyone outside of ISO, unless they have been explicitly authorized.

If you wish to use a logo to demonstrate certification, contact the certification body that issued the certificate.

See full details about the use of the ISO logo.

What Are the Steps of the ISO 9001 Registration Process?

Obtain ISO Certification

You’ve made the plans, built the quality system, and conducted internal audits, but are you ISO 9001 compliant? Next comes the ISO Registration Process, but do you know the proper steps of this process? And how can you be sure you’re getting the most value for your investment? What Are the Steps of the ISO 9001 Registration Process?

The ISO Registration Process comes after your company’s ISO 9001 audit. The purpose of registering your company is to show that you’ve met the requirements. And to do this effectively, you will need to follow eight essential steps.

1. Find an ISO 9001 Registrar

You’ll need to begin searching for an ISO registrar during the 2 to 3 months your company is still building its quality system. You can search the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to select the registrar right for you.

Registrars must meet the requirements of the ISO Accreditation Bodies. These requirements include things such as independence; Registrars cannot consult for instance. This system ensures uniformity in the registration process.

Accreditation Bodies maintain directories of the Registrar organizations that they accredit. These directories are available on their websites. You can normally find these websites by doing a search on the Accreditation Body’s name or initials.

A directory of registrars in the U.S. can also be found on the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board website which offers access to a searchable database of accredited registrars in the United States.

In Canada, contact the Standards Council of Canada for a list of registrars. All other countries should consult the accreditation authority or member body for their country. Consult the ISO website for a complete list of ISO Member bodies.

2. Select an ISO 9001 Registrar

Select a registrar that has experience within the scope category of your specific industry, which you can also find on the ANAB site. Keep in mind accreditation, scheduling issues, fees, and comfort level when selecting the registrar right for you.

Registrar qualifications are a key consideration. As you research Registrars you will notice that some appear to be very limited in scope just based on their names. Registrars must be accredited in a particular industrial sector in order for them to be able to certify a company in that sector. Some Registrars are accredited in several if not all sectors; others specialize in certain sectors. The best approach to evaluating a Registrar’s qualifications for your industrial sector is to contact the Registrar.

After qualifications, price is always a concern. Be sure to evaluate the total cost including expenses, fees, and the cost of surveillance.

Probably as important as price, within limits of course, is the overall experience a client gets with a registrar. Important areas to consider are the interpersonal skills of the auditors; the office support and ability to get questions answered; are the audits a value-added experience, will the Registrar work with you, how flexible are they in adjusting dates – how many weeks’ notice.

3. Complete an ISO 9001 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.

4. Conducting a Quality Document Review

The registrar will require a copy of your quality manual and procedures to verify that all the requirements of the standard are addressed. The ISO Registration Process is not a quick process, be sure to allow 2-4 weeks in advance for the registrar to fully review all of the necessary documents.

5. Determining Pre-Assessment Need

Though optional, this 2-4 week initial review of the system identifies any significant omissions or weaknesses. It saves time and allows the registrar to assess any issues and resolve logistics before the actual assessment audit.

The Pre-assessment is an initial review of your Quality Management System to identify any significant omissions or weaknesses in the system and provide your organization an opportunity to correct any deficiencies before the regular registration assessment is conducted.

NOTE: During ISO 9001 Registration, only one pre-assessment may be conducted and Registrars CANNOT provide quality consulting or advice on system implementation. Evaluating the quality system and documentation to meet ISO requirements is allowed but registrars cannot provide guidance on how to implement a quality system.

6. Conduct a Registration Assessment Audit

During the ISO audit process or physical onsite inspection of procedures in action, the auditors will issue findings if they assess anything that doesn’t meet requirements, or non-conformities. The length of this step of the ISO Registration Process will depend on the scope of the audit and the size of your organization.

ISO 9001 Audit Activities

In general, the flow of activities during the ISO 9001 audit is as follows:

Opening Meeting. An introduction of the audit team and key personnel in your company. The scope and general approach to the audit is discussed. This is also the time to question anything that is unclear in the audit schedule and communicate any last-minute changes to the system or schedule.
A brief tour of the facility. Keep it brief, the auditors just want to get a general feel for the layout and processes involved. This may also be done during the preassessment.
Additional review of documents. Audit team members review documentation for areas they will audit.
Examination. The audit is conducted, personnel are interviewed, and objective evidence is collected to show the system has been effectively implemented.
Daily review. At the end of each day or the beginning of the next, the audit team reviews any issues identified during the assessment. Potential findings or nonconformities may be clarified at this time.
Closing Meeting. The audit team states their conclusions regarding the audit and presents any findings or nonconformities that were identified along with any observations they may have.
Audit Report issued. Within a few weeks of the audit, the Registrar issues the audit report. The report generally restates what was discussed in the closing meeting.

ISO 9001 Audit Findings

During the audit, if the auditors find anything that does not meet the requirements of the ISO standard or that does not meet the requirements of your procedures, they determine the severity and issue a finding. Audit findings are usually called nonconformities and fall into one of two categories depending on severity.

A Minor Nonconformance deals with minor infractions of procedures or minor failures of the system in meeting the ISO 9001:2008 requirements. These will not hold up your registration.
Major Nonconformance deals with issues where the nonconforming product is likely to reach the customer or where there is a breakdown in the Quality System that results in the system not being effective in meeting the requirements of the standard. This will hold up your registration.

The Registration Process’s primary difference to you between a major and minor nonconformance is that your registration cannot proceed until all major nonconformities are closed and verified by the Registrar. This usually involves a re-audit of the involved areas and, of course, the associated costs. Minor nonconformities require a corrective action plan and they are closed at the first surveillance.

ISO 9001 Auditors

ISO Registration Process auditors work for or contract to ISO Registrars to perform ISO registration assessments and surveillance. They are the “front line” in the process. The Registrars are responsible for ensuring Auditors meet qualification requirements. Their requirements include training in auditing, ISO 9001 training, and at least one member of the audit team must have experience in the industrial sector of the company being audited.

Verify credentials. If a person claims to be certified as an ISO 9000 lead auditor, ask to see proof of his or her certification. Make sure the certification is current by checking the expiration date. Facts about ASQ’s certification are available via the ASQ website.

Auditors collect the objective evidence demonstrating the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the company’s quality management system and make registration recommendations to the Registrar. The Registrar has the ultimate decision, however.

7. Complete the ISO 9001 Registration

After the Registration Process, all of the findings are put into the ISO audit report, and nonconformities are addressed, your company has the option to register as ISO 9001 conformant. You will receive a certificate which can also be listed in a register, which the company can use to publicize its registration and use in advertising.

8. Ongoing Surveillance Audits

To ensure that the system is maintained and that changes don’t result in deficiencies in the system, registrars perform regular surveillance of the system. Over the three-year period of your certificate, auditors will perform one full and two partial checks of your system.

ISO 9001 Registration Considerations

The Registration Process Document Review and Pre-assessment typically require 2-4 weeks each. However, the number of registrars and the number of days for each stage of the registration audit depends on the size and complexity of your organization. To help the ISO Registration Process go smoother, set target dates accordingly to allow both you and the registrar time to fully prepare.

Always keep in mind, registration and the entire audit process should provide you with valuable feedback to improve your system. Do you need ISO 9001 Certification? That is up to you, For guidance in your audit process, Bizmanualz ISO 9001 2015 Procedures will get you on your way. After all, it’s your company, it’s your registration, so make sure you get a strong return on YOUR investment. audits 9001ISO 9001 CertificationISO certification registration

6 responses to “What Are the Steps of the ISO 9001 Registration Process?”

Ankit says: March 14, 2021, at 11:24 amThis is a Good Article. It gives me a lot of Good Information about ISO registration. In this article, the Content is Good and Provides a well Knowledge about ISO registration. Thanks for Sharing this Article.Reply
Finaaz says: August 4, 2020, at 9:37 pm, is really an and detailed article for companies to get ISO registration. The procedure of getting ISO registered requires experienced personnel to handle it . Reply
says: March 10, 2020, at 4:35 am Submit your management system documentation for review to ensure it complies with the applicable standard. Reply
SHAILESH says: December 4, 2019, at 11:09 am ALL INFORMATION IS IN SYSTEMATIC AND BRIEF WAY … THANKS FOR THIS VALUED POST ..Reply
Mayur says: June 16, 2019, at 7:44 am You have given very good information about the ISO, and you have included all the topics that come in almost ISO. Thanks for this awesome post.Reply
What Are 10 Reasons Why You Need ISO 9001 Certification? – Planimeter says:February 16, 2017 at 7:11 am[…] ISO 9001 certified means to pass a physical ISO 9001:2015 certification audit by a registrar (a certifying […]

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