How many steps are there in the process for a company to apply for ISO9001 system certification audit?

The operation establishment and certification of the company's ISO9001 system is part of quality management work. So what exactly is the process of ISO9001 system certification? Below is a summary of the certification process for these systems. Take a look!

ISO9001 Quality Management System Certification Process

1. Preliminary Preparation Work

① Establish a documented quality management system;

② Operate the quality management system for more than three months;

③ Conduct at least one internal audit and management review of the quality management system, with the internal audit covering all locations and standard clauses;

④ Provide the quality manual and procedure documents.

2. Information Exchange

Communicate with relevant personnel through mutual visits, telephone, fax, electronic components, etc., to understand each other and determine the preliminary intention and feasibility of implementing certification.

3. Submit Certification Application

The interested applicant organization fills out the "Quality Management System Certification Application Form" and its attachment "Certification Information Survey Form." After the certification company reviews and approves, it will further contact the applicant organization, conduct on-site visits if necessary to understand the basic situation of the auditee and the establishment and implementation of the quality management system, and provide a written quotation.

4. Sign Contract

After obtaining the applicant organization's clear intention to sign the contract and passing the contract review, both parties sign the "Quality Management System Certification Service Contract." The certification company will appoint a lead auditor responsible for the audit activities from the contract effective date.

5. Enter the First Stage Audit (Pre-assessment)

The auditee submits the officially released quality management system manual and procedure documents to the certification company. The lead auditor conducts a document review on-site according to certification requirements and informs the auditee of the audit results in writing. If there are nonconformities, the auditee should make corrections until the requirements are met.

6. Enter the Second Stage Audit (On-site Audit)

The audit team will arrange the on-site audit according to the certification plan. The audit requirements cover the entire scope of the certification application and comply with all requirements of the ISO9001 quality management system standard, conducted by sampling audit. The second stage audit will issue nonconformities and require corrective actions. The on-site audit will provide a written audit report, announce the on-site audit results, and inform whether approval for registration is granted.

7. Enter Post-Certification Surveillance (Surveillance Audit)

During the certificate validity period, two surveillance audits are arranged. The first surveillance audit is conducted within 9-12 months (calculated from the initial audit completion date), and subsequent audits are no more than 12 months apart, basically referring to the initial on-site audit. Based on the audit results, the certification company will decide to maintain, expand, reduce, suspend, or cancel the certification.

8. Enter Reassessment (Recertification Audit)

When the certification validity period expires, the certificate holder should apply for reassessment to the certification company at least 3 months in advance. After passing the reassessment, a new certificate will be issued. The reassessment procedure is consistent with the certification procedure. The reassessment can be combined with the last upcoming audit within the validity period.