Addressing ISO 9001 Audit Findings

April 1, 2019 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

Before beginning our main article topic, I want acknowledge that the EBS Quality Solutions blog was recently selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 25 ISO Blogs! You can access the ISO Blogs list here. We greatly appreciate the recognition from Feedspot and continuing support from all of our readers! Now on to our normal programming.

What Happens After Your ISO Audit?

Now that you have completed your audit, what’s next? If you received less than a perfect score, meaning that the auditor found a couple things and issued some ISO 9001 audit findings (nonconformances), you will need to address these deficiencies before receiving your ISO 9001 certificate. A perfect score (no findings) will result in immediate issuance of your ISO 9001 certificate, usually within a couple of weeks. [Read more…]

What to Expect During Your ISO 9001 Certification Audit

March 21, 2019 by Todd McBride 2 Comments

ISO 9001 Certification Audit

Wow, you’ve finally arrived at your ISO 9001 certification audit. While there will be some nerves and anxiety, if you have done all the work to development and implement your management system in a manner that best suits your organization and have not taken any shortcuts, then your assessment should be fairly uneventful. Be sure to complete any needed preparation and training activities prior to the audit to further ensure success. [Read more…]

Preparing for Your ISO 9001 Certification Audit

March 11, 2019 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

Preparing for Your ISO 9001 Certification Audit

Prior to your ISO 9001 certification audit, it would probably be a good idea to ensure that your management system and people are prepared and ready for the assessment. At this time, we will assume that you have fully implemented your management system and scheduled your stage one assessment. [Read more…]

Selecting the Right ISO 9001 Registrar

February 26, 2019 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

Selecting the Right ISO 9001 Registrar

Registrars are independent for-profit organizations which are qualified, certified, and authorized (accredited) to complete assessments and issue certifications for ISO 9001 and other similar standards. Registrars are also known as Certified Bodies (CB) in other countries around the world. [Read more…]

ISO 9001 Certification Process

February 14, 2019 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

ISO 9001 Certification Process

The final few articles in the EBS DIY ISO 9001 series will provide guidance through the ISO 9001 certification process. We’ll start with an overview of the entire process in this post, then delve deeper into the topic in future articles. [Read more…]

ISO 9001 System Launch

February 5, 2019 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

ISO 9001 System Launch and Confirmation

As you are launching and implementing your ISO 9001 management system, it might be a good idea to review, confirm, and if needed, update some key activities and artifacts that were created along the way. Take some time to consider the full extent of the management system that has now been implemented along with the results of your internal audit and management review as you complete this exercise. Once your reviews and updates are complete, but sure to update any needed documentation. [Read more…]

Why ISO 9001 Culture Matters

March 30, 2018 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

ISO 9001 Culture

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to work with and experience dozens of different organizations across many different industries, many of which had or were working on some type of formal management system. When it comes to quality management systems, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work and the one common denominator that often seems to determine the difference is the organizational culture. Establishing and maintaining the right ISO 9001 culture within your organization can shift your company from one of mediocrity to one of organizational excellence. [Read more…]

Return on Investment for ISO 9001 Certification

February 28, 2018 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION

If you are going to invest all the needed time, effort, money, and resources into the development, implementation, and certification of an ISO 9001 management system, then there better be some type of payoff in the end. This is often in the form of new market opportunities, customers, or revenue streams. However, many organizations fail to realize and recognize the internal benefits and value of ISO 9001. [Read more…]

EBS Article Series: ISO 9001 Certification on Limited Budgets and Resources

January 9, 2018 by Todd McBride Leave a Comment

EBS Article Series – A DIY Approach to ISO 9001 Certification

For most organizations, achieving ISO 9001 certification can be a rather daunting undertaking. For many smaller companies that don’t have the resources to retain a full-service ISO consultant and who attempt ISO 9001 certification on a do-it-yourself basis, the work can be overwhelming.

Without an internal or external resource who is knowledgeable and experienced with ISO 9001, most organizations struggle to properly interpret the ISO 9001 standard and implement processes that satisfy the standard requirements. With that said, it is still possible to complete your certification as a do-it-yourselfer, but the company also needs to find a source of expertise to guide the project.

[Read more…]