1. THE ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION PROCESS
by: Wouter Rodrigues
www.qualicertus.co.za
2. Certification process step by step:
Step 1: Book a Stage 1 audit
• Also called a documentation audit.
• Does your system comply with minimum document requirements set
out by the ISO 9001 standard?
This determines your readiness to go for the Stage 2 audit.
You would receive a audit report from your auditor (The report would be
received within 10 days with positive or negative findings).
Any negative findings must be fixed before you would be allowed to
schedule a stage 2 audit.
When all findings are cleared you would be booked for a stage 2 audit.
www.qualicertus.co.za
3. Certification process step by step: (Continued)
Step 2: The main audit (called Implementation)
• Your system is tested whether working and implemented.
• Checks will be done to see if your documented procedures, policies and
instructions are practically happening in your business.
IMPORTANT: Your documentation would not get you certification alone, it has to
be backed up by committing to the ISO 9001 standard and company procedures to
ensure successful implementation and certification.
Yet again you would receive an audit report from your auditor (The report would
be received within 10 days).
This would indicate all the findings positive or negative picked up during the audit.
Any negative findings minor or major would have to be cleared before you would
be recommended by your auditor to get your certification.
www.qualicertus.co.za
4. Certification process step by step: (Continued)
Step 3: Approval by Certification Board
Your Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit report and finding reports are sent to the
certification board for final approval. The certification board would then
award your certification.
TIME FRAME: The whole process takes between 1-3 months to complete.
www.qualicertus.co.za
5. After the successful development and implementation
(minimum of 6 months of stats proving effective implementation) of your
Quality management system based on the ISO 9001
standard you should be audit ready.
You now need to select the certification body you wish to
certify your system.
www.qualicertus.co.za
6. Factors to consider when selecting a certification body:
• What is your client’s requirement?
For example you might be exporting to a specific client overseas and they want you to
certify with a company they know, trust and have a better reputation in their area. All
certification bodies’ certificates would carry the same weight, as they also need to
comply with a specific standard when auditing an ISO 9001 system. (One is not better
than the other) But your client in Germany might want you to use TUV and not SABS, as
TUV is a German company and SABS a South African company.
• Costs of certification?
• Personal preferences:
Like supporting of proudly South African campaigns.
• Reputation of certification body.
• Product mark if applicable:
If you for example have a SABS product mark on your product, it would be lightly that
you choose SABS to do your systems mark (ISO 9001) as well.
www.qualicertus.co.za
7. After selecting a certification body you would have to get a quotation
to certify your system. (Some consultants would do this on your behalf)
The quotation would be for three years as your certification would
only be valid for three years, after which you would have to go for a
recertification audit in year 3-4.
Cost involved with the first three years is roughly between
R50,000.00 - R120,000.00, cost does not have to be paid at once but
payment options is available which differs from the certification body
you use.
So for as long as you want to be ISO 9001 certified there would be
cost due to the certification body. The certification process starts as
soon as you accept your quotation.
www.qualicertus.co.za
