{"id":4311,"date":"2021-10-21T07:52:32","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T07:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/?p=4311"},"modified":"2026-06-11T11:22:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:22:58","slug":"iso-9001-certification-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/blog\/iso-9001-certification-process\/","title":{"rendered":"ISO 9001 Certification Process"},"content":{"rendered":"<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; color:#b02b2c;' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h1 custom-color-heading blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_hr  avia-builder-el-first  '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  >ISO 9001 Certification Process<\/h1><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' style='border-color:#b02b2c'><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  style='height:20px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section \" ><div class='avia_textblock  '  style='font-size:14px; ' ><h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">Overview<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ISO 9001 certification process follows a set of general stages, from preparing your quality management system (QMS) through to the certification audit and ongoing surveillance. The current edition of the standard is ISO 9001:2015. The stages below outline what to expect.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5649 lazyload\" title=\"ISO 9001 certification process\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"ISO 9001 certification process\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ISO-9001-705x470.jpg 705w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 360px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 360\/240;\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">Preparation (before the audit)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Preparation is carried out by your own organization, often with help from a qualified internal lead or a third-party consultant &#8211; not by the certification body. (The certification body&#8217;s role is to conduct the formal Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, and it cannot also provide consulting.) Key preparation steps include:<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Gap analysis: <\/strong>review your current QMS against the requirements of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/blog\/iso-9001-benefits\/\">ISO 9001<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span> and note any gaps to address before the certification audit.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Documentation: <\/strong>ensure your quality manual, procedures, and records are complete and meet the requirements; resolve any discrepancies between the standard and your documents.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Training: <\/strong>review your <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\"><a style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/iso-9001-training-in-canada\/\">ISO 9001 training<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span> records to confirm employees understand the requirements, and evaluate how effective the training has been.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Resources: <\/strong>check that the materials your people use &#8211; policies, forms, records, guidelines, and manuals &#8211; are up to date and meet the requirements.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Implementation: <\/strong>prepare a project plan and a risk-management plan based on the standard and your customer and regulatory requirements, then implement the quality management system.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Internal audit: <\/strong>once the system is in place, conduct an internal audit to assess how well it has been implemented. The results are documented in a report that is shared with the certification body before the external audit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">The certification audit<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The certification audit is where an auditor from the certification body reviews your documentation, talks to employees and management, and checks that the requirements are being met. It has two stages:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Stage 1 (preliminary audit): <\/strong>the auditor reviews your documentation to confirm the requirements are documented. Any gaps must be addressed before Stage 2.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Stage 2 (implementation audit): <\/strong>the auditor confirms the requirements are being met in practice, reviewing documentation, interviewing staff, and auditing the system. The results are documented in a certification audit report.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">Certification decision<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once you pass both stages of the external audit, the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\"><a style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/iso-certification-in-canada\/\">certification body<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong> issues your ISO 9001 certificate.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">Surveillance audits<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">After certification, the certification body conducts surveillance audits &#8211; typically two within the three-year validity period &#8211; to confirm your organization remains compliant with ISO 9001 throughout the cycle.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">Recertification audit<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the end of the three-year cycle, a recertification audit extends the validity of your certification, confirming your QMS continues to meet the standard.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">How long does it take?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The process generally takes around six months when a consultant is involved, though this depends on your organization&#8217;s readiness. An organization already largely compliant with ISO 9001 will be certified faster than one that has not yet implemented a quality management system.<em> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\">What does it cost?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <span style=\"color: #000000;\">cost<\/span> depends on factors such as the certification body you choose, any consultant fees, document preparation, and audit fees. Consulting fees add to the total, so you can reduce costs by preparing in-house &#8211; which means having competent staff who understand the requirements. Costs are usually quoted in Canadian dollars.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\"><a style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/contact-us\/\">Contact IAS<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span> today to learn more about the ISO 9001 certification process, or visit our <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c;\"><a style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/frequently-asked-question-in-canada\/\">frequently asked questions<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span> page.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Explore more<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/blog\/how-to-get-iso-9001-certified\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\">How to Get ISO 9001 Certified<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a> &#8211; a step-by-step guide<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/iso-9001-certification-in-canada\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\">ISO 9001 Certification in Canada<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a> &#8211; quality management certification<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/blog\/iso-9001-certification-cost\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #b02b2c; text-decoration: underline;\">ISO 9001 Certification Cost<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a> &#8211; what drives the price<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4311"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6041,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4311\/revisions\/6041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ias-certification.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}