ISO 9001:2015
Quality Management Systems

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What is the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Standard?

The ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Standard provides a framework for world-class business growth via a risk and opportunity based process approach to managing businesses. Globally recognised as the most popular management system standard, it enables businesses to achieve consistent performance and service, while meeting, and sometimes exceeding, customer expectations.

In simple terms, ISO 9001:2015 is a set of requirements that organisations can implement to ensure they provide high-quality products and services consistently. It involves establishing processes that ensure quality is maintained throughout the entire production or service delivery process, from start to finish. Organisations that are certified to ISO 9001:2015 can demonstrate to their customers that they are committed to delivering quality products and services.

The standard’s requirements are developed to fit organisations of all types, sizes and industries, so no matter what business you operate, you will undoubtedly notice the many measurable benefits.

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ISO Standard Documents

The ISO 9001:2015 Standard is an actual document developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) detailing the standard’s clauses and requirements. We highly recommend that you purchase the ISO 9001:2015 Standard document, to fully understand the requirements for successful implementation. Visit Standards Australia to purchase a copy.

Why ISO 9001?

Achieving ISO 9001:2015 Certification is an essential step for any size organisation seeking to establish an internationally recognised Quality Management System (QMS), and harness the benefits of a powerful business improvement tool. ISO 9001 sets a globally acknowledged standard for ensuring consistent product or service quality, customer satisfaction, and continual operational improvement and efficiency.

By achieving this Certification, organisations demonstrate to their stakeholders their commitment to adhering to best practices, therefore boosting credibility in the market. As put by our clients, the Certification demonstrates that they are serious about their business, achieving consistency across the organisation with a robust and well established business structure.

In fact, achieving Certification to ISO 9001 can be a critical competitive advantage while also expanding your market potential by qualifying your business for bigger and better projects, such as government tenders and grants. It can also help organisations meet other contract or product requirements, as well as be used to help lower insurance premiums.

Achieving Certification to ISO 9001 serves as a strategic advantage, instilling confidence in both internal and external relationships, positioning the organisation for sustainable growth and success in today’s competitive business landscape.

Who needs ISO 9001 Certification?

ISO 9001:2015 Certification is relevant and beneficial for organisations of all sizes and industries. Any business can achieve Certification to ISO 9001 to demonstrate its commitment to meeting customer requirements and ensuring continual improvement. 

From manufacturing and construction firms to healthcare providers, tech businesses, and service-oriented businesses, ISO 9001 can benefit any organisation seeking to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and maintain a strong commitment to meeting customer needs and regulatory requirements. The standard is designed to be generic and flexible, meaning that the requirements can be adapted to any industry, regardless of size.

The process of implementing the requirements of ISO 9001 is similar regardless of the size of your business; it will be adapted to the scale and needs of each organisation. ISO 9001 is a solid first standard that many businesses opt for, as it’s designed to support your business in delivering a quality service and satisfying your customers. An obvious target for any sized organisation.

We’ve helped over 200 client organisations achieve Certification across 15 different industries and many different sized enterprises. Want to check if ISO 9001 is the right fit for your business? Book a FREE Strategy Session to discuss your needs. 

Benefits of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems

consistent quality achieved

Enhance customer satisfaction via consistent quality with fewer errors

continual improvement

Facilitate business growth via continual improvement

international trade

Improve traceability and accountability

evidence-based decision making

Benefit from evidence-based decision making

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Greater control and management of quality risks

General Benefits of ISO Management System Standards

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Qualify for more tenders, contracts and international trade

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Increase and improve brand reputation to boost stakeholder confidence

business planning

Improve business planning and align with organisational strategy

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Higher profit margins and reduced costs through improved efficiencies

improved business strucutre

Improve business structure and standardise systems for sustainable growth

 Steps of ISO 9001 Certification Process

01

Planning

Understanding the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard is crucial. Planning may also involve conducting a Gap Analysis to understand the organisation’s current status against the ISO 9001 requirements, if not starting from scratch. A plan is developed to address these gaps and establish a roadmap for the Certification Process.

02

Documentation Development

During this stage, a Quality Management System (QMS) must be developed by creating the necessary documentation, including quality policies, procedures, and work instructions, and business planning documentation. This is where the expertise in understanding and applying the Standard requirements comes into play, and expert consultants help you save money and time by tackling this strategically.

03

Implementation

The QMS is put into practice across the organisation, and employees should be guided to understand the documentation, as well as their roles and responsibilities. Conducting an Internal Audit and a Management Review are also requirements, to ensure that processes are implemented, followed, and executed accordingly, and the ISO 9001 requirements have been met in preparation for the external audits. 

04

External Audits

At this step, you need to engage a Certification Body (aka Conformity Assessment Bodies). They are the accredited organisations that will conduct the Certification (External) Audits to assess your organisation’s QMS against the ISO 9001 requirements. Auditors will evaluate the management system’s effectiveness, its alignment with the ISO 9001 standard, and its ability to deliver consistent results. Upon successful completion of the External Audit, your organisation will receive your ISO 9001 Certification. Find out how to select the right Certification Body for your business here.

05

Continual Improvement

Once Certification is achieved, it’s valid for 3 years, and your Certification Body will return to conduct annual surveillance audits to ensure your business maintains its commitment to quality management. Ongoing activities are required by your organisation to be regularly conducted ensuring your QMS still meets the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard, and evidence of these will be checked by your Certification Body auditor. Find out more here.

The Certification Readiness journey for ISO 9001

The Certification Readiness Process is broken down into 3 Phases. We can tailor our service for you depending on your needs. The infographic shows the steps of the entire process.

ISO 9001 Quality

Get your FREE Certification Readiness Process Diagram today!

How we can assist you

Our services are customisable for each business, depending on your specific needs.

Ready to get started?

Book a FREE Strategy Session with us to discuss the best approach for your business, understand the benefits for your organisation, and find out how we can best help you achieve your goals!

What our clients have to say

Hyper Engineering
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Rudra Ghosal

Managing Director

Hyper Engineering

North Wollongong, NSW

Thanks to ISO Certification Experts’ assistance, we have achieved our ISO 9001 Certification.  They methodically guided us with an initial Gap Analysis. Once we were close to the formal Audit, Aqueline conducted a thorough Internal Audit assessment and helped us understand our key shortcomings. Their clear approach helped us understand the expectations from the standard and demonstrate processes in the correct way. Highly recommended!

Rudra Ghosal

Managing Director

Hyper Engineering

North Wollongong, NSW

BCA Logic
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Jessye Lena

Manager, Quality & Risk

BCA Logic

Sydney, NSW

Their premium service package was extremely helpful, as it was inclusive of all certification readiness activities unlike most other competitors in the industry. Ivona was great to work with, simplified the entire process for us, got us over the line, and helped us achieve our ISO 9001 Certification first-time as promised!

Jessye Lena

Manager, Quality & Risk

BCA Logic

Sydney, NSW

Employment Innovations
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Thomas Capplis

Chief Operating Officer

Employment Innovations

Sydney, NSW

Our experience with ISO Certification Experts was fantastic. Anthony and Aqueline were super professional and gave us fantastic direction and constructive help to guide us with our ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Certification Readiness projects. Anthony gave us a good overview of what was required during this project, and at no point did he try to overdo it. This project gave us the confidence to move in the right direction towards improved business maturity and security by embedding steps to improve our processes and do things better. I would highly recommend ISO Certification Experts to businesses who are looking for ISO Consultants.

Jessye Lena

Manager, Quality & Risk

BCA Logic

Sydney, NSW

Deluxe Solutions Services
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James Kim

Customer Support Manager

Deluxe Solution Services Pty Ltd

Baulkham Hills, NSW

A huge thank you to Ivona and the team at ISO Certification Experts for the wonderful support and guidance throughout the Quality, Safety, and Environmental ISO certification project. We couldn’t have made it this far without your ISO expertise, experience, hard work, and commitment to the project. We are very grateful for all your assistance.

James Kim

Customer Support Manager

Deluxe Solution Services Pty Ltd

Baulkham Hills, NSW

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History of ISO 9001

The ISO technical committees conduct reviews of all ISO Standards approximately every five years. In the event that a standard is revised and updated as a result of such a review, a new version of the standard will be published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with the new title including the year in which the revision was made.

The ISO 9001 Standard was first published in 1987, and has since undergone several revisions to better meet the changing needs of organisations and stakeholders. Here is a brief history of the development and published versions of ISO 9001:

ISO 9001:1987

Withdrawn

ISO 9001 was first published by ISO in 1987. It was originally based on the British Standard BS 5750, which was developed in the 1970s.

ISO 9001:1994

Withdrawn

The standard was revised and updated and published alongside other related quality standards: ISO 9002:1994 and ISO 9003:1994.

ISO 9001:2000

Withdrawn

A major revision of the standard was undertaken to make it generic and applicable to all organisations, regardless of type, size and products provided. This revision resulted in ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 being withdrawn.

ISO 9001:2008

Withdrawn

After another revision, this version emphasised the importance of continual improvement and customer satisfaction.

ISO 9001:2015

Current Version

This is the current version and is focused more on risk-based thinking, context of the organisation, leadership and taking a process approach to the management system.

Frequently asked questions about ISO 9001:2015

The first thing you will need to consider is the costs for the upgrade of your Management System, as well as the costs for the actual Certification.

If you need a professional ISO Consultant, like us, to assist with the development and implementation of your Management System, fees will depend on a number of factors, such as: what you already have in place; the size of your business; complexities and risks for your industry; number of locations; the level of service you’d like; and which and how many ISO Management System Standards you’re working towards (I.e. ISO 9001:2015 only or more). This is where the FREE Strategy Session is useful, so we can identify these factors and provide you with a tailored quote – book in your FREE Strategy Session here.

When it comes to the actual Certification, the price will be determined by Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs). They are the organisations that will audit and certify your business. When a CAB provides you with a quote, they will usually quote based on the three-year Certification cycle, which includes your Certification Audit (Stage 1 and 2), and two annual Surveillance Audits. After the three-year cycle ends, you need to renew the Certification for another three years with a Recertification Audit. They will also take into account the size, complexity and nature of your business, which will be different for every organisation. If you want to know more about selecting the right Certification Body for your business, click here.

Depending on the size and complexity of your business, it can take around three to six months, if you are starting from scratch with your Management System development and implementation. We recommend enough time to ensure an effective implementation and adoption of the system.

If you want a more accurate timeline based on your specific situation, we can help you. To speak with one of our experts, contact us here!

Yes, you can integrate your ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System with other ISO Management System Standards. In fact, we highly recommend doing so in order to streamline your management systems and improve efficiency.

The main other Management System Standards you can integrate with ISO 9001:2015 include ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and ISO 27001:2022.

If you want to learn more about Integrated Business Management Systems, you can read more in this blog.

Any type of business can achieve Certification to ISO 9001:2015. ISO Management System Standards are designed to be generic and flexible, meaning that the requirements can be adapted to any type of business, regardless of size, nature or industry.

To put this into perspective, we’ve helped over 200 businesses achieve Certification across 15 different industries, ranging from architects, to marketing agencies, construction, cleaning, recruitment, engineering, manufacturing and other businesses, both small and large.

Whether you need certification for a tender or grant, want to streamline processes, or need the structure for sustainable growth, ISO 9001:2015 is the right standard for your business.

Have a question we didn’t answer here? Visit our full FAQ page.