FAQs About ISO 9001- Part 1

The team at QMS International PLC share their frequently asked questions about the ISO 9001 process.

What will I benefit from receiving ISO 9001? There are multiple and varied benefits for any organisation gaining ISO certification. First and foremost, there is a possibility to greatly increase sales and turnover, as it allows you to tender for contracts that would previously have been inaccessible, if they required ISO 9001 certification. It also demonstrates to prospective clients and customers that quality management is of paramount importance to your organisation, giving you a significant competitive edge over your rivals. Current clients will also recognise this, leading to an increase in retention of customers. The certification also requires you to have a QMS (Quality Management System) that will streamline internal procedures, allowing you to cut costs and improve customer satisfaction. A study among organisations with ISO 9001 revealed: A transport firm that increased turnover six-fold Gas firm that saved 2.9 million Pizza firm boosted customer satisfaction by 85% Manufacturing firm gained cost saving of 50% over 2 years Rubber firm had sales increased by 70%

In conclusion, benefits include helping you to both make and save money, whilst gaining and retaining customers, enabling growth and expansion for any organisation. Does it include the Kitemark? No. The Kitemark is a trademark of BSI (British Standards Institute) and demonstrates that they test a product provided by an organisation, for safety. ISO certification has different logos/trademarks dependent on the certification body and demonstrates that an organisations QMS has been independently assessed and audited. Who is QMS and where are you based? QMS International PLC is a certification body that is dedicated to making achieving ISO certification as simple, quick and cost-effective as possible. We have been established since 1993 and since then have issued over 18,000 certifications in more than 60 countries. Our head office is situated in Norwich, UK but we operate across the UK and worldwide. We have associate offices in several countries including USA, Italy, Brazil, India, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Philippines, Dominican Republic and the Maldives.

QMS International plc is a global organisation specialising in ISO 9001 Assessment and Certification. For more information or to get in touch, call on 01603 630345 or visit the website http://www.qmsuk.com/iso-9001.php

FAQs About ISO 9001- Part 1

The team at QMS International PLC share their frequently asked questions about the ISO 9001 process.

How long does it take to gain certification? QMS pride ourselves on providing certification quickly, so we make sure that certification can be gained in just 30 days after the assessment. What do I need to do before the assessment? Absolutely nothing. At QMS we do the work for you so there is no need to make any alterations before the assessment or attempt to write the necessary training manual. Your assessor will come and review your current procedures and see where they are in relation to where the standard requires you to be. They will then advise you on any necessary additions or alterations and the technical team at Head Office will produce your Manual. Your certificate and Manual will then be given to you at a presentation shortly after your assessment. How much of my time will the assessment take? Our assessors aim to cause minimum disruption, but we will need access to you and some of your staff to ask any necessary questions. However, we do recognise that you have a business to run and that you may need to break off for phone calls etc. How often do you audit me after becoming registered? After gaining ISO certification with QMS there will be a yearly audit where you will be required to provide the necessary proof that you are still complying with the standard. What if I need help after the assessment and becoming registered? QMS are always here to help and the team at Head Office will be happy to answer any questions and provide advice. We offer fantastic customer service and take real care of our clients. What if I am already registered with another certification body and want to move to QMS? This is what we call a compliance audit and it is really easy and simple. You can even use your existing manual if you wish which will save you time and money. What if some of my staff need some training after registration?
QMS International plc is a global organisation specialising in ISO 9001 Assessment and Certification. For more information or to get in touch, call on 01603 630345 or visit the website http://www.qmsuk.com/iso-9001.php

FAQs About ISO 9001- Part 1

The team at QMS International PLC share their frequently asked questions about the ISO 9001 process.
QMS offer training courses all year round, across the country. Please see our events page to find a training seminar near you.

What costs are involved before and after registration? All quotes are completely inclusive and transparent at QMS. The initial quote we provide covers everything from the original assessment to the presentation of your certificate, with no hidden costs. There will then be an annual audit fee to pay after registration. We base our costs on turnover so for a no fee, no obligation quote call 01603 630345 or fill in the online enquiry form. I have several offices in different locations; can they all be included? Provided the same procedures are used in the different offices we can incorporate them. However, we may have to visit a sample of them to confirm that the same procedures are being used. So what actually happens during the assessment? We will visit you and look at the procedures that you currently have in place and where you are in relation to where ISO needs you to be. During the day we will help you make the gap smaller by adding and changing your procedures. We keep it as simple as possible and only change your procedures when absolutely necessary. The information from the assessment then gets sent back to Head Office and we produce the manual, which will be presented to you, along with your certificate. What is ISO? ISO stands for the International Organisation for Standardisation. They are the worlds largest developer and publisher of International Standards (www.iso.org/iso/about.htm). ISO publish standards such as ISO 9001 and 14001 in addition to many others, but certification bodies (such as QMS) are the actual providers of certification for your organisation.
My company is very small; can we still get ISO? Any company of any size or sector can gain ISO and enjoy the many benefits. QMS provides certification for a huge number of SMEs and basing the fees on turnover allows us to offer small organisations affordable certification.

QMS International plc is a global organisation specialising in ISO 9001 Assessment and Certification. For more information or to get in touch, call on 01603 630345 or visit the website http://www.qmsuk.com/iso-9001.php

FAQs About ISO 9001- Part 1

The team at QMS International PLC share their frequently asked questions about the ISO 9001 process.
Why does QMS base the fees on turnover? We base our fees on turnover as it gives us an indication of how large your organisation is, and therefore how much time we will need to spend with you. However, in exceptional cases we are always prepared to look at alternative fee structures if appropriate.

QMS International plc is a global organisation specialising in ISO 9001 Assessment and Certification. For more information or to get in touch, call on 01603 630345 or visit the website http://www.qmsuk.com/iso-9001.php