Applying for ISO certification

Steps, concerns and support

With ISO certification, your organization demonstrates that its operations meet internationally recognized quality standards. This is not only valuable as a marketing and sales tool, but also as proof that you are continuously working on delivering high-quality products and services. A certificate inspires confidence among (potential) customers and stimulates internal improvement.

To qualify for ISO certification, you must meet established requirements and undergo an audit by an external, accredited certifying body. While the exact application process may vary from one agency to another, the process usually follows a similar workflow.

Why apply for ISO certification?

The most common reason is to convince (future) customers that your organization is systematically and systematically working on quality. In addition, more and more companies are choosing to use ISO certification as a tool for internal optimization.

This is because an external audit helps you take a fresh look at your processes. This makes blind spots visible and encourages improvements. Organizations that do not plan or are unwilling to record and track processes benefit less from certification.

Where can you apply for your ISO certification?

An ISO certification is carried out by a certifying body. This can be done directly or through an external consultant who assists in setting up the quality management system (KMS).

Most contracts run for three years:

Year 1: Comprehensive certification audit

Years 2 & 3: Control audits to verify that processes still meet the standard

What should you pay attention to when applying?

An important issue is the accreditation of the certifying organization. Any party can call itself a certifying body, but with accreditation, the body itself is also independently assessed. This is an additional guarantee of quality. In addition, your KMS must have been in use for at least three months, verified internally through an audit and reviewed by management. Without this basis, certification is not possible.

How does the independent audit work?

The audit consists of two phases:

1. Document review (book review)
   It is assessed whether all required parts of the standard are present in your documentation.
2. Practice audit
   Through interviews and random sampling, we check whether the processes described are actually followed in practice.

Based on these findings, the auditor decides whether to nominate the organization for ISO certification.

The trajectory in outline

Applying for ISO certification requires proper preparation. Consider:

• Establish and implement the quality management system
• Train employees so that they apply the processes in their daily work
• Conduct internal audits and management review
• Request a quote from an accredited certifying body
• Planning for the certification audit

Help with your ISO application

LeanForms also has an ISO-certified quality management system, fully supported by our own software. Our experts have years of practical experience in setting up and supervising certifications and business management systems.

With LeanForms, you benefit from:

• Support in digitizing your quality management system
• Practical guidance from experienced specialists
• Access to our partner network for specific issues

Want to know how we can help your organization apply for and implement ISO certification?
Contact us for a free consultation.