It is quite common for small and mid-size businesses to get overwhelmed by the idea of implementing Quality Management System based on the ISO 9001 standards. But once they start the procedure, the journey towards ISO 9001 certification becomes much easier than it seems. So, here we are giving you the step by step checklist of the processes involved in implementing the standard and getting the certification.
- Seek the support of the management – If you wish to implement the QMS in your business, you need to get the full support of your management team. Implementing the system according to the standards will require you to overhaul your management systems. So, support of the management is imperative. You need to get your managers in confidence that ISO 9001 certification is good for the overall growth of the company and its employees.
- Identify your business requirements – You, together with your managerial team, need to identify the requirements of your business. Some areas of the business will need more changes to comply with the ISO standard while others won’t need to be changed much. Search the gaps that need to be filled to make your business compliant with the ISO 9001 standard.
- Define your quality policy – Once you know the requirements of your business, you should formulate the plan to execute QMS into those areas of your business. This planning, termed as quality policy, will be your first document for the ISO 9001 QMS.
- Define your procedure and processes – Creating the quality policy is similar to setting quality management goals for your business. Once you have set the goals, you need to create a blueprint of the actions, process, and procedures needed to attain the defined goals. Here you’ll have to make a perfect blend of the mandatory procedures defined by the ISO 9001 standards and the unique need of your business.
- Implement the defined procedure and processes – Once the planning is done, you have to bring those plans into action. It might seem that this one is a very tough phase, but, it actually is not. Most of the planned action will already be in place in your business, you now just need to document them. Documenting the procedures help in maintaining the consistency. To help you document the procedures with ease, you can get this iso 9001 quality manual.
- Train your employees – The employees working in your organization are going to be directly affected by any change you bring in your management system. So, it is important to train the employees and make them aware of the changes occurring in their work environment. You do not need to give your employees the details like the managerial staffs, but, they need to know about the part affecting their work.
- Conduct internal audit of the QMS – Allow your organization to get used to the new working system and then conduct an internal audit. The aim of the internal audit should be to check for any loopholes in the implementation of the planned quality management system. You need to be satisfied with your implementation before calling in the certification body to test your quality management system.
- Take corrective actions if needed – Your internal audit report will show you the areas of your quality management system that need to be improved. If you don’t find any mistake or gap then it might be that your internal audit was not conducted well because there’s always a chance of improvement. In fact, the main focus of the ISO 9001 QMS is to keep improving your system. It is always said in the business world “If you are not improving, you are actually going downwards”.
- Choose a certification body – Once you have implemented the quality management system in your business, you need to get yourself certified. There are a number of companies that are responsible for auditing the quality management system and giving the ISO 9001 certification. Choose a certifying body carefully and submit your application for the audit of your company’s QMS.
- Get the audit done – The certification body chosen by you will do the auditing of your quality management system in two steps. In the first step, they will check your documentation to see if you abide by the rules of the standard on paper. The second step of auditing will be done only when your documentation is perfect. In the second stage, your records of QMS, internal audit report and the corrective measures will be audited. You need to follow any suggestion given by the certifying body in order to get their recommendation for the ISO 9001 certification for your business.
Hope your business becomes an ISO 9001 certified business as soon as possible!
The Ultimate Checklist For ISO 9001 QMS Implementation