ISO 9001 is sometimes referred to as the...

Why should you have a quality management system according to ISO 9001?

Win contracts and gain new customers!
Requirements for quality management systems according to ISO 9001 are often found in public procurement processes. The chances of winning a public procurement contract increase significantly if you have a quality certification or a quality management system.

Many companies also consider a quality management system and ISO 9001 certification as a hygiene factor for hiring a supplier.

Increase profitability!
By implementing and working according to a quality management system ISO 9001, you not only get a structured way of working, but you also get tools to:

Prevent complaints through documented quality controls.
Report and address internal and external deficiencies (deviations), with the aim that they will not occur again.
Monitor customer satisfaction and process efficiency.
Together, these elements contribute to reducing the company\'s quality deficiencies and increasing customer satisfaction, thus improving profitability.

Get better organization and structure!
A quality management system also means that you will have better organization and structure because it will be clearer who is responsible for what. You can also gain increased control over:

inspections, maintenance, and equipment servicing
employee qualifications and competencies
and more.

In a quality management system, the daily work should be guided to:

meet the requirements set by stakeholders
prevent risks from a quality and business perspective.
For the daily work to function as intended, support is needed in the form of:

quality policy and quality objectives
responsibilities and authorities distributed within the organization
competent employees
well-functioning communication, both internally and externally
deviation management to identify internal and external deficiencies
monitoring customer satisfaction and key performance indicators for processes
management review - a meeting where the company\'s management evaluates the progress of quality work and makes decisions to address any deficiencies.

Common mistakes when implementing ISO 9001
Common mistakes made when implementing ISO 9001 certification in a company or organization as a management system include:

Starting from the structure of the standard - Instead, it is recommended to start from the flow in your company; thus, your quality management system will be built according to your company.
Describing how you want to work rather than how you work.
Being too detailed - Remember that whatever you commit to doing in the management system, you must be able to show that you are doing! Be detailed only where there is a serious quality risk or a stakeholder requirement.
Trying to do everything at once - Think of it as renovating a house, one room (process) at a time. Otherwise, you will never finish!
Being overly optimistic about time and believing that you can handle the implementation parallel to regular work.

How can we help?
Our HSE and ISO consultants can help with:

Performing a GAP analysis to identify any deficiencies in the company\'s existing quality management system.
Developing and implementing a quality management system according to ISO 9001.
Supporting daily quality work.
Conducting internal audits.
Training the company\'s internal auditors in audit methodology or training the company\'s management in their responsibilities in quality work.

How does the certification process work?
Certification is carried out by an accredited certification body and the certification process consists of two stages:

Stage 1
In the first stage, the focus is usually on documentation and leadership responsibility in the management system. In other words, stakeholder analysis, risk and opportunity analysis, quality policy, quality objectives, deviation management, supplier evaluation, internal audit work, responsibilities and authorities distribution, competence development, management review, among others will be reviewed. The aim of the audit is to check that there is a quality management system in place that is good enough (i.e., meets the requirements of ISO 9001) to obtain certification.

Stage 2
In the second stage of certification, the certification auditor will review whether the quality management system is implemented in daily work, meaning that the daily work follows the routines in the management system and meets the requirements of ISO 9001.

If the certification auditor discovers deficiencies in the management system or daily work, they will report deviations. Deviations from stage 1 must be corrected before the stage 2 audit, and deviations from stage 2 must be corrected, and the corrections must be approved by the auditor before you can receive the certificate.

After that, the certification body will conduct audits at the company at least annually. The frequency depends, among other things, on the size of the company.

What happens after ISO 9001 certification?
Many breathe a sigh of relief after obtaining their ISO 9001 certification, but this is when the actual quality work begins. You must continue to follow the procedures described in your quality management system. Additionally, the certification body will come back