ISO 9001 - Certification of quality management systems
Certified according to ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is by far the most successful standard for quality management at national and international level for the certification of organisations of all kinds and is often the basis for the development of corporate management systems.
Quality management is all about meeting expectations for an organisation's products and services: ISO 9001 specifies the minimum requirements that an organisation must implement in order to consistently meet the expectations and needs of its customers: You can rely on them when it comes to quality.
But implementing a quality management system also offers great potential within your organisation. Continuous analysis of your own processes promotes the continuous improvement of your own performance.
Advantages of ISO 9001 certification
Competition
With a certification according to ISO 9001, you will increase your market opportunities and competitiveness.
Legal certainty
Your organisation obtains documented and certified proof that it has fulfilled all obligations to avoid or correct possible errors. This provides legal safeguarding.
Cost reduction
You will reduce sources of error, analyse targeted opportunities for improvement and increase efficiency of workflows and processes. This way, your organisation will reduce costs in the long term and thus increase its profits.
Customer loyalty
You will gain trust and increase customer and partner satisfaction through your promise to constantly improve - especially in the B2B environment.
Good, uncomplicated, friendly and fast service. A very good collaboration!
Kirsten Sonntag, Jung Papier GmbH
[Translated with DeepL]
Customer wishes are easily taken into account. Special company requirements are incorporated.
Ramona Wallner, Zeppelin GmbH
[Translated with DeepL]
GUTcert has been a reliable and competent partner for GRÜNPERGA Papier GmbH for many years in terms of certification and verification and has always been a constructive companion in our improvement processes
Christian Gericke, GRÜNPERGA Papier GmbH
[Translated with DeepL]
Always very constructive and helpful with regard to the special features of our industry.
Anne Berghöfer, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
[Translated with DeepL]
The audit was very pleasant, informative and very cooperative at a high level. We were able to communicate very well with the auditor and she was not sparing with constructive criticism. This is what we imagine an audit to be like! At the end of the day, this is helpful for everyone involved. The Globus management also shares this view.
Bernd Klemmer, Globus Gummiwerke GmbH
[Translated with DeepL]
So far, we have only had good experiences of working in partnership with the team of auditors. The team at the certification body, with whom each company communicates in relation to project management, deadlines and documents, is also very personal and uncomplicated. We have the feeling that we are in good hands with GUTcert, that we are getting to know each other better and better and thus strengthening the good cooperation.
Nils Kuckert, Schornsteinfegerinnung
[Translated with DeepL]
Certification of an association
Several companies that are members of an association can be audited in individual but relatively standardised certification procedures due to their similarity – this has advantages.
Certification of an association is suitable for organisations that offer similar products and services and have analogous business processes and documentation. These related structures offer many advantages in certification of an association. For example, the ISO 9001:2015 certification process can be implemented in all member companies according to a predetermined, standardised procedure.
Certification of an association must be distinguished from ‘matrix or group certification’, which is not permitted for associations and involves the use of an ‘artificially’ created overall organisation to reduce the audit effort by applying random sampling.
In contrast to matrix certification, certification of an association requires each certified member to prove itself annually as part of an individual certification process in accordance with the DAkkS-compliant certification procedure. Internal and later external auditors must be shown that the requirements of the quality management system have been implemented and integrated into everyday work.
For the association
Interaction and commitment: as the association plays an important supporting role in association certification, there is a regular exchange of knowledge, experience and information between the association and its members.
Attractiveness in the industry: the association is committed to improving the quality of services provided by each of its members and enables its members to obtain ISO 9001 certification at an attractive price.
Quality: The association's globally recognised ISO 9001 certification gives it a unique selling point: it provides transparent proof to all interested parties that all members comply with internal and external quality requirements.
For association members
Cost savings: Synergy effects result in cost savings (approx. 10%) compared to individual certification.
Shared expertise: Many members of the association will encounter similar issues and challenges during the certification process, which can be resolved much more effectively on the basis of shared expertise than in individual certification.
Joint support: Due to the comparable product portfolios of all association members, members benefit from joint support from the association headquarters and GUTcert.
Exchange of experience: Membership of the association enables individual members to exchange valuable experience on the certification process with other companies. They benefit from best practice examples and build up joint expertise on ISO 9001.
Auditor competence: Thanks to their experience in auditing many similar organisations, the auditors employed are familiar not only with the structures and requirements of the industry, but also with many examples of the efficient application of the management system standard and can thus identify specific areas for improvement.
Further training: Association members can acquire up-to-date specialist knowledge combined with practical relevance through both in-house training and participation in GUTcert Academy courses. Association members receive a 10% discount on the list prices offered.
In order to be certifiable as an association, members should offer comparable products and services. Certification of part of an association is also possible if, for example, only 50 out of 100 members offer comparable services/products. The association headquarters concludes a framework agreement with GUTcert GmbH containing the relevant conditions for the certification of the association's members.
The association headquarters then organises the implementation of the individual certification procedures together with the contact persons from the association members and GUTcert.
The basic certification process is based on the guidelines of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the guidelines of the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) for the certification of management systems DIN EN ISO/IEC 17021-1.
However, association certification is supplemented by further possible steps: The entire process is preceded by a contractual agreement between the association headquarters and GUTcert, which sets out the contractual and financial conditions for the individual certification of association members. Members thus benefit from favourable conditions for the certification of their management system without having to obtain offers from certification bodies themselves.
The actual certification process is preceded by an additional kick-off workshop for all participating association members. This is followed by the steps of the basic certification process for each individual member of the association, with an annual inspection of each participating company in the association certification. The participating companies continue to be supported by the consultants, the association headquarters and the contact persons at GUTcert.
As a result of the certification, each participating company receives its certificate. The first certification cycle concludes with an event for the exchange of experiences.
Details on the GUTcert certification procedure can be found in the overview of the GUTcert certification process.
The costs of certification depend on the following parameters:
Scope and complexity of the service
Number of association members
Number of locations
Number of employees
Existing certifications
Conducting research and development activities
Standard requirements that are not applicable to your company reduce the cost of certification: In ISO 9001, these are often Chapter 8.3 ‘Development of products and services’ or Chapter 7.1.5 ‘Resources for monitoring and measurement’ (measuring and test equipment).
Give us a call: We will answer your questions and prepare a non-binding offer for your association.
The amount of documentation required in the current 2015 edition of the standard is relatively little. This rebuts the common prejudice that everything is only about documenting processes and activities.
Explicitly required documents mentioned in ISO 9001:
Quality policy (chapter 5.2)
Quality objectives (chapter 6.2)
Reports of internal audits (chapter 9.2)
Management review (chapter 9.3)
However, the specifications and records that your company commits itself to document for internal or exernal considerations are more relevant.
You can receive comprehensive information on this in our Quality Management course. Please refer to GUTcert Academy for further information.
You will receive a detailed checklist for ISO 9001:2015 including documentation requirements via your exclusive access to our our Download Area once you assign us with the certification process. This way, you may optimally prepare for the audit.
A certificate according to ISO 9001 is valid for three years. The certificate is maintained through annual surveillance audits. Every three years, the ISO 9001 certification may be extended for another three years through a recertification audit.
Consultancy funding and a variety of different funding programmes support you in establishing your quality management system - all the way to certification readiness. The services vary depending on the federal state.
Consultancy services for quality management systems according to ISO 9001 are promoted within the framework of the SME consultancy promotion programme of the Federal Government "Promotion of Entrepreneurial Know-How" (consultancy promotion from 01.01.2021 to 31.12.2022). Information on the funding programme can be found at BAFA (Federal Office of Export Control).
Advice on the introduction of a QM system with a view to certification
Consultancy due to loss of personnel and knowledge and to remedy deviations from certification audits
Advice in the context of company development and necessary major changes to the QM system, e.g. introduction of further management systems
Consultation due to the changeover to the new standard revision of ISO 9001 - the next revision is already pending!
Approximately every seven years, ISO 9001 is reviewed to ensure that it is up to date. Workshops have already been held in 2019 in preparation for a possible revision of ISO 9001:2015 in 2023.
In addition, the Strategic Planning and Operations Task Group (SPOTG) of the ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC176, Subcommittee SC2, had a web-based survey conducted last year among approximately 8,400 companies worldwide. The results from 2020 are available and the recommendations from the survey were accepted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Accordingly, ISO 9001:2015 will continue to apply and will not be revised for the time being.
However, a new review of the current ISO 9001 is planned until 2030. This will certainly include new topics from current social and technological developments:
Industry 4.0 and the increasing digitalisation in the world of work
Knowledge management and artificial intelligence (AI)
The role of the environment and climate protection in the context of interested parties
Quality of products and services in the context of globalisation and internationalisation of supply chains
On the basis of a quality management system, other management systems can usually be easily implemented, e.g. for the environment, energy, climate management or occupational safety. The introduction of the High Level Structure (HLS) has made the integration of management systems much easier.
If your company has introduced several management systems, they can be audited and certified in combination. ISO 9001 can also be audited in combination with regular sustainability reporting. It also offers affected companies the possibility to comply with the requirements of the Supply Chain Sourcing Obligations Act (LkSG), including the communication obligation.
Regardless of whether integrated or combined - a simultaneous certification of different systems always offers additional, also financial advantages. We would be happy to provide you with a non-binding offer.
A certificate according to ISO 9001 is valid for three years. The certificate is maintained through annual surveillance audits. Every three years, the ISO 9001 certification may be extended for another three years through a recertification audit.
The costs for a certification according to ISO 9001 depend on the scope to be certified. This includes size and activity of your company, i. e. the number of sites and employees. Existing certifications may reduce the audit time and thus the costs.
Any non-applicable standard requirements may also lower the audit time and therefore costs of certification. For ISO 9001, this is often:
chapter 8.3 "Development of products and services" or
chapter 7.1.5 "Resources for monitoring and measurement" (measuring and testing equipment).
You are welcome to contact Sindy Prommnitz, if you have any questions (phone.: +49 30 2332021-45) or to simply request an offer online.
Tired of waiting forever for audit reports? Are you looking for competent contact personnel when it comes to your company's certification? Or do you simply value new impulses for your company?
Do not wait for your new certification cycle: a change of your certification body is also possible during the annual surveillance audits. For more information look up our change service.
Competent auditors: In Germany we work with over 100 auditors, including industry experts for manufacturing and processing, logistics, trade and service providers. We will find the right auditor for your company.
Internationally positioned: GUTcert is part of the AFNOR Group. With more than 1,800 auditors in over 100 countries, we offer our services worldwide.
Fast and uncomplicated: Your personal contact person accompanies you from the offer to the certificate handover. With commitment, creativity, and conviction, our team is also available to you by telephone for questions at short notice.
Audits with added value: An audit as an examination? At GUTcert, we see audits as an opportunity. In addition to checking the ISO 9001 requirements, audits primarily provide motivation and appreciation for the work of your quality team. We always look at organisations holistically and provide impetus for improvements. The positive feedback of our customers confirms this.
Certification as a matter of trust: GUTcert strives for long-term partnerships with its clients, auditors, and cooperation partners. Internationally positioned as well as small and medium-sized companies have been placing their trust in us for years.
