AvISO is an industry-leading expert in ISO 9001 and Quality Management Systems. With offices in London, Kent, and Ireland, we provide global Consultancy, training & Software solutions to support sole traders to multi-national organisations to ensure they achieve the most from their UKAS Accredited Certification to ISO 9001. 

• ISO 9001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organisations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. It is the most popular standard in the ISO 9000 series and the only standard in the series to which organisations can certify.
• ISO 9001 was first published in 1987 by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), an international agency composed of the national standards bodies of more than 160 countries. The current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.

The purpose of a Quality Management System (QMS) is to put in place policies and procedures to ensure customer requirements are met consistently and that best business practices are followed. ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised standard for Quality Management Systems and is a requirement for tendering any business with Governments or large, established companies. This is because having the UKAS-accredited certification offers reassurance to clients. It shows that your organisation meets the following requirements of the standard:

• Managed risks and opportunities
• Values Customer Satisfaction
• Engages its employees
• Strives for continual improvement through regular monitoring and reviewing of its products/services
• Makes data-based decisions
• Helps you consistently provide quality services/products 
• Effective leadership

ISO 9001 encourages innovation and productivity. Your organisation will work more efficiently as your processes will be streamlined and understood by everyone in your Business or organisation, bringing costs down. 

ISO 9001 ensures top-down communication of the QMS across the organisation, clarifying employees' roles and providing a unified sense of direction for the company, increasing motivation and communication between teams. 

Finally, ISO 9001:2015 is the foundation building block for all other Management Systems once in place; it will be much easier to integrate further accreditation/ management systems such as in Environmental, Health and Safety or Cyber Security - ISO 14001, 45001 and 27001, respectively.

• Implementing the quality management system (QMS) principles will help you assess the overall context of your organisation to define who is affected by your work and what they expect from you. This will enable you to state your objectives and identify new business opportunities clearly. 
• It will enable you to put your customers first, making sure you consistently meet their needs and enhance their satisfaction. This can lead to repeat custom, new clients, and increased Business whilst also meeting the legal, statutory and regulatory requirements.

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• We are in the process of developing an online cost calculator to be able to provide certification consultancy costs, including certification body costs. Please keep checking our LinkedIn and Facebook profiles for updates! You can call 01892800476 or email info@avisoconsultancy.co.uk for further information.

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• With the right preparation and a good understanding of what is required for ISO 9001 certification, most organisations can expect to achieve certification within 3 to 6 months, depending on their size and complexity. 
• This process starts with developing the management system followed by Internal Audits to check for any gaps that would not meet the requirements of the standard.
• Stage 1 audit is completed by an independent UKAS accredited certification body who assesses the documentation produced for the management system to ensure it meets the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard.
• Stage 2 audit is your main assessment that assuming you pass - which is determined by the extent in which the QMS conforms to the standard – awards your certificate.

• ISO 9001 is designed to integrate with your current management system, enhancing its functionality through several processes.
• If already certified, based on Annex SL framework, a good management system will signpost to existing controls. 

• Yes, you can. However, it is worth considering the time and cost of a workforce required to set up an ISO standard versus an external management consultant providing guidance and support to ensure conformity and certification. An ISO consultant can give regular expert advice and help set up and maintain an ISO 9001 quality management system. A third-party certification body will independently audit your management system for conformity to the standard.

• UKAS is the 'United Kingdom Accreditation Service,' recognised by the British Government to assess the competence of auditing bodies that provide certification, testing, inspection, and calibration services. UKAS audits certification bodies: such as ISOQAR, BSI, NQA and QEC to ensure compliance. Many businesses are caught out by certification bodies promoting ISO certification without UKAS accreditation. Unfortunately for these businesses, potential contracts can be lost when clients realise the QMS is not valid and may need to recertify with a UKAS accredited certification body. Due to the conflict of interests BSI, QEC etc cannot offer guidance so if you are offered both consultancy and accreditation please proceed with caution. 

• A certified quality management system is valid for three years. During this period, internal and external surveillance audits are necessary to maintain conformity during the three-year period before complete recertification.

• There are no limits or restrictions to the size or type of organisation wanting to improve by using the ISO standard. 

• Not necessarily. The most cost-effective way would be for your organisation to have an umbrella system whereby all the sites would have to prove that the management system is being followed. A presentation certificate for each site can be issued to ensure conformity to the standard across all your sites. If more than 5 sites, they will apply a sampling approach to the audits, they will need to see all the sites over the 3-year cycle of the audit.

• Research to support the improvement and effectiveness of the organisation's management system would be best practice; implementing the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system is the foundation upon which to build.
• Speak to your clients about what they require, get in touch with consultants like us to give advice on each standard.

• Once your ISO 9001 quality management system has been implemented, it would need to be regularly reviewed and updated as appropriate however this shouldn't be particularly taxing if the system was implemented correctly. 

• We provide innovative and practical solutions
• AvISO have an industry-leading reputation and a 100% certification success rate with the UKAS accreditation service. All our consultants are certified lead auditors and experts in their field for providing a first-class service. 
• We are the experts with 10 years' experience in guiding businesses to success.
• We practice what we preach – proudly ISO 9001, 27001 and Cyber Essentials qualified. 
• Our client-focused approach focuses on creating value for your Business, not simply ticking clauses off a checklist. You can view our <clients testimonials> and <case studies> here.

• The ISOva Toolbox is a bespoke online tool designed by AvISO to record your management system data and information. It is used as an integral part of maintaining all aspects of your quality management system. Designed by leading ISO consultants ISOVAs intuitive User Interface, facilitates easy navigation of your QMS and provides a real-time dashboard where you can track progress towards KPIs (key performance indicators), Objectives and Corrective Actions.

• Based on their education, skills, and knowledge from senior management, competent persons are recommended to work alongside our management consultants to maintain your management system. It varies from company to company, but whoever has a good working knowledge of the organisation is given the resources to get the job done.

• As much as needed to meet the requirements of the standard. To become ISO certified, your company or organisation must submit documents that report its internal processes, procedures, and standards. These documents (or Quality Management System) determine that your company can consistently provide quality products and services. 
• ‍An exhaustive list of the mandatory documents and records can be seen below:

Scope of the Quality Management System (clause 4.3)

Quality policy (clause 5.2.2)

Quality objectives and how these will be achieved (clause 6.2)

Monitoring and measuring resources (7.1.5.1)

Monitoring and measuring equipment calibration records* (clause 7.1.5.2)

Records of competency in staff (clause 7.2)

Product/service requirements review records (clause 8.2.3.2)

Design and development inputs record (clause 8.3.3)

Records of design and development controls (clause 8.3.4)

Records of design and development outputs (clause 8.3.5)

Record of design and development changes (clause 8.3.6)

Criteria for evaluation and selection of suppliers (clause 8.4.1)

Characteristics of product or service to be provided (clause 8.5.1)

Identification and Traceability records (8.5.2)

Records about customer property including any changes (clause 8.5.3)

Production/service provision change control records (clause 8.5.6)

Release of products and services (clause 8.6)

Control of nonconforming outputs (clause 8.7.2)

Monitoring and measurement results (clause 9.1.1)

Internal Audit results (9.2.2)

Results of the management review (clause 9.3.3)

Results of corrective actions, including opportunities for improvement (clause 10.2.2)

To ensure that these files are available and easily accessible to auditors is also a requirement.

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• Our expert consultants are always available for help and advice. Regular visits and communication can be arranged together with an internal audit program agreed upon as an ongoing AvISO consultancy service.

• Most, if not all, of the necessary information can be securely gathered and shared online through SharePoint. This is a secure method of safely sharing and updating documents online to maintain and support your management system. 

• A legal register is a document or system that details legislation that your organisation must comply with due to its activities. The legal register becomes an essential resource for your organisation to refer to what you must do to ensure legislative compliance. 

• It can vary when calculating how many days are required. Things to consider are the size of the organisation and the complexity of the management system. As a guide, it can take between three to six months.

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• Yes, AvISO provides short training courses called Toolbox Talks about Management Systems. The courses are designed to give each clause a general understanding and further information. 

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• There are ten main clauses within the standard. Clauses 4 to 10 in the ISO 9001 are externally audited by a UKAS-accredited auditor for conformance to the standard. Clauses 1 to 3 are required for setting the scope, normative references, and the context of the organisation.

• Our consultants are certified lead auditors and are experienced in implementing an ISO9001:2015 quality management system. In addition, some of our consultants will specialise in specific ISO standards.

Iso 9001 supports the effective management of your business and helps you meet customers' requirements. It is suitable for any organisation that wants to improve customer satisfaction, and staff motivation and build a culture of continual improvement.

• ISO 9001 encourages best practices throughout an organisation to provide exemplary performance and quality whilst reducing costs and complaints.
• ISO 9001 does not set targets or demand that you stop certain operational activities.
• ISO 9001 is often a requirement to tender for new work; even when it's not, it will provide you with a competitive advantage.
• Certification will provide future clients with confidence in your business practices and your ability to deliver at a consistently high standard.
• Understanding the needs of your customers and their feedback will provide a basis for continuous improvement that will set you apart from your competitors.

Organisations that are ISO 9001 certified are more likely to be seen as reliable and trustworthy by potential customers and partners, compliance benefits include:

• Broaden business opportunities by demonstrating compliance with complex legislation.
• The sharing of best practice techniques encourages consistency and reduces potential errors or prosecution.
• Improved processes will be more efficient whilst also reducing the risk of expensive mistakes.
• Provides confidence in the legality of operational activities

• Supports the development of efficient internal processes and sound operational solutions.
• A Quality Management System will improve operational performance, providing more efficient ways of working to save time, money, and resources.
• Help eliminate errors and increase profits.
• Support practices and helps communicate how things are, done and more importantly, why.
• Motivates and engages staff with improved internal communication and helps reduce mistakes.