Please see here the steps of applying for any specific ISO Certification and / or Management System Standard Certification
How do I get certified?
Before the Organization or any of its Processes can get the Certificate of Conformity from Euro Veritas - an accreditated Certificate- accreditated from British Accreditation Registrars (BAR-UK)- www.bar-registrars.org, it will have to prepare, develop and document the various system processes, and check the implementation of the correct procedures by responsible personnel to ensure that it can maintain the applied standard (s).
Here are 4 steps to becoming an ISO-certified business.
1. Develop and Establish the said management system as per the Standard
• Identify the Context of the Organization and various Processes
• Identify core or business and support processes.
• Document, wherever required and / or necessary processes with the involvement of employees.
• Internally, Review, approve and distribute the documents to those who need access to the information.
2. Implement your system as per the standard requirements and as per developed documentation
• Ensure procedures are being performed as they are described in your documentation.
• Ensure personnel are trained properly for the tasks they are performing.
• Develop an efficient Risk / Opportunity Assessment System.
• Create an efficient reporting systems to cover inspection, testing, corrective actions, preventive actions, management review meetings, monitoring of objectives, statistical techniques and so on.
• Implement the Operational Controls and Monitor the effectiveness of your processes through the use of measurable data, where possible.
• Internally review and take action to improve in the areas required.
3. Verify that your system is effective- Internally
• Internally conduct an audit as per ISO 19011 standard and review the processes and system for compliance and effectiveness. Observe, interview people and look at sample records and verify the implementation.
• Identify and review and report strengths and weaknesses of the management system.
• Take corrective or preventive action as required. Please ensure there is no conflict of Interest.
4. Register your system- with Euro Veritas , UK
• Step 1: Sent the Application Form- filled / Signed by the Management to Euro Veritas .
Euro Veritas shall prepare a Contract and send to Applicant Organization. This contract will contain all details including Fees etc.
The Applicant Organization is required to send the Signed / Stamped contact to Euro Veritas local office.
• Step 2: Audit Team Assignment: The local Euro Veritas Office shall assign the Certification case to the Certification Schemes Manager, who in turn, shall assign the Project, based on Qualification and Experience to an Audit Team. The Audit Team may consist of Auditors (more than 1) and might also have Technical Expert.
• Step 3: Documentation Review Audit: The Organization’s documents are reviewed prior to on-site activities to determine conformity of the management system (MS) documentation to audit criteria. The specific MS documentation should be reviewed prior to the performance phase of an external or internal audit- All relevant MS documents, records and previous audit reports—in fact, all MS documentation related to the audit criteria—should be included in the review. The list includes:
• Requirements of the standards and regulations related to the processes and products being audited.
• Sections of the MS manual that relate to the processes being audited.
• Any procedures that relate to the audit.
• Process models or other documentation describing the processes being audited and their interaction with other processes.
• Work instructions, forms and records pertinent to the audit.
Additionally, document reviews for second-party audits may include purchasing documents, such as a contract, specifications, purchase order requirements and other agreed-on forms or records.
• Step 4: Stage 1 Audit: On-Site Readiness Review This is Stage 1 audit, wherein the Lead Auditor and Auditors shall review the Organization’s readiness for the final audit. This stage is more of a ‘reconnaissance’ audit, or a ‘pre-assessment’, where the auditor does a high-level review of your MS and establishes whether the internal audit programme is in place.
Stage 1 is completed on-site to determine whether your MS has met the minimum requirements of the Standard and is ready for a certification audit. The auditor will point out any areas of nonconformity and potential improvements of the management system.
• Step 5: Stage 2 Audit: Certification Audit- The Stage 2 audit is often referred to as the ‘certification audit’. During a Stage 2 audit, the Lead auditor and his team of auditors shall conduct a thorough on-site assessment to establish whether the organization’s MS complies with International Standard. All relevant documented information that evidences your management system’s conformity with all the standard’s requirements; Key performance objectives and targets, looking at performance monitoring, measuring and reporting; Evaluation of internal audits, management review and management responsibility for your organization’s policies; All relevant processes, looking at operational control and the ability to carry them out as planned. The lead auditor / auditor / audit team will also be looking for evidence that the organisation is following the documentation that they’ve previously reviewed. The audit team will review their audit checklists and provide feedback to the client regarding any nonconformities. If everything is in order, the auditor will provide for the Notification for issuance of the certificate stating that your organization’s MS complies with the International Standards, and recommend you for the certification / continuation of Certification / Recertification.
• Step 6: Notification of Certification- Euro Veritas, shall give out the following:
• Letter of Recommendation / Audit Summary Report
• Soft Copy Certificate of Conformity / Registration / Compliance
• Hard Copy Certificate of Conformity / Registration / Compliance
• Step 7: Surveillance Audits- This is the same as Stage 2 Audit.
• Step 8: Re-Assessments- This is the same as Stage 2 Audit.
What does it mean to be ISO Certified?
Even if the Organization is relatively new to the quality business, they might have heard of “ISO” being frequently namedropped especially in the context of MS. Far from a simple buzzword, it’s quite a big deal in the marketplace and as an aspiring new business, a business person looking to grow your business, or even an entrepreneur looking to set your business up for long-term success, you need to be informed about ISO Standards and standardization.
What does it mean to be ISO Certified from Euro Veritas- BAR?
Being Certified from Euro Veritas (BAR Accreditation) means that the organization has a management system (MS) in place that utilizes international best practices to standardize the processes and system using the standard to ensure that it consistently produce products and services that meet and exceed your customer’s expectations.
Since the requirements and guidelines of the International Standards are quite comprehensive and the process of implementing a system, having multiple audits, and maintaining compliance is quite stringent, achieving certification is recognized as an impressive feat and speaks volumes about your company’s commitment to providing your customers with high-quality service.
How Much Does ISO Standard Certification from Euro Veritas (BAR) Cost?
Because ISO certification is issued by an external Certification Body like Euro Veritas , UK (which is accreditated from BAR, UK), the exact cost associated with the certification does vary. Accredited Certification Bodies like Euro Veritas follows very strict procedures for conducting and processing certification activities. These costs are based on the following:
• The Standard being applied for and being interested to be certified with.
• The Organization’s number of units / locations
• The organization’s employee count
• The level of risk associated with the product/service being provided under the management system
• The complexity of the Processes
Please contact us at [Euro Veritas , UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK] for any MS Certification.
