Typically 15 to 45 working days

ISO Certification

A management system certification issued by an accredited certification body, not a government licence. Accreditation is what separates a certificate that counts from one that does not.

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TIMELINE

15 to 45 working days

ISSUED BY

Accredited certification bodies

COMMON STANDARDS

9001, 14001, 45001, 27001

VALIDITY

3 years, with surveillance audits

What is included

  • Selection of the right standard for your operation
  • Gap assessment against the chosen standard
  • Documentation of the management system
  • Internal audit and management review support
  • Coordination with an accredited certification body
  • Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit preparation
  • Guidance on surveillance audits and recertification

Documents you will need

Organisational information

  • Business registration documents
  • Organisation chart and scope of operations
  • List of processes and activities to be covered
  • Existing policies and procedures, where any exist

Operational records

  • Process flow and work instructions
  • Customer complaint and feedback records
  • Supplier and purchase records
  • Training and competence records

How the filing runs

Choose the standard

9001 for quality, 14001 for environment, 45001 for occupational health and safety, 27001 for information security. The standard follows the business need, not the other way round.

Close the gaps

Current practice is assessed against the standard and the missing processes and records are built.

Run the system

The system must operate for a period and generate real records, including at least one internal audit and management review, before an audit can succeed.

Certification audit

An accredited body conducts Stage 1 documentation review and Stage 2 implementation audit, then issues the certificate.

Not every ISO certificate is worth the paper

ISO certification is a private certification market, not a government licence, and it is largely unpoliced at the cheap end. Certificates issued by bodies with no recognised accreditation are widely sold, arrive within days, and are rejected the moment a serious customer, tender authority or auditor checks the accreditation chain. If the certificate is being obtained to satisfy a customer or bid requirement, verify that the certification body carries accreditation recognised under the International Accreditation Forum before paying anyone. A cheap certificate that fails at the tender stage costs more than doing it properly.

Common questions

No. It is voluntary, but it is frequently made contractually mandatory by customers, tender authorities and export buyers.

It depends on what you are being asked to demonstrate. Quality management is the most commonly requested, information security is standard for IT and data handling businesses.

Typically three years, subject to annual surveillance audits. Failing a surveillance audit can suspend the certificate.

Because accreditation status varies. Accredited certification involves real audit days by qualified auditors. Non accredited certificates involve neither.

Yes. Audit duration scales with size and complexity, so a small business carries a proportionately smaller cost.

Need ISO certification?

Tell us who is asking for it and we will confirm the right standard and scope.

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