How to Register for ISO9000 - 1

• What should I do to get ready to apply for registration?
• How often will the Registrar ("Certification Body") visit us?
• Can you please explain the application process?

Before you apply to the Registrar, you need to:

1. Set up your Quality Management System, in line with ISO9001:2000 requirements
2. Conduct audits, so that you know how well your system is operating
3. Collect information about the effectiveness of your processes
4. Collect information about the suitability of your products/services
5. Consider potential problems
6. Analyse and review all of the relevant information
7. Determine and implement actions to improve your system

Then, you can contact the relevant Registrar (make certain that they are accredited! 

Unaccredited certificates are an expensive way of getting a piece of paper that says that some bloke says you're OK).

Typically the Registration process is:

1. You contact the Registrar (also known as a "Certification Body")
2. You give the Registrar details of your organisation (products & services, numbers of people, numbers of sites, etc)
3. Registrar gives you a quotation. 

If you accept the quotation:

1. The Registrar reviews your quality documentation (Quality Manual, Procedures, Quality Policy, Objectives etc). This review may be conducted at your premises.
2. If necessary, you correct any problems discovered
3. The Registrar agrees an assessment date with you
4. The Assessors arrive and conduct audits to see if your organisation meets the requirements of ISO9001:2000
5. Depending upon the Registrars findings:
   1. No problems found: You become registered and receive a certificate within a couple of weeks.
   2. Some minor problems found: You send the Registrar details of how you plan to fix the problems. If acceptable, you become registered and receive a certificate within a couple of weeks. The Registrar checks at the next visit in some month's time.
   3. Many Minor problems/serious problems found: You correct the problems discovered and send Registrar evidence (or the Registrar may require a re-visit, depending on the severity of the problems found). Following the checking, if acceptable, you become registered and receive a certificate within a couple of weeks.

Following registration, the Registrar will conduct regular audits of your system. 

The number of visits depends upon:

1. the size of your organization, 
2. the complexity of your processes, 
3. the numbers of problems found at previous audits, 
4. (and especially) the confidence that Registrar can place on your own internal audits, and problem handling processes.

Application Process Flowchart

The steps involved before your organisation can become ISO9000 registered.

Don't Forget:

Applying to the Registrar is the easy part! You need to set up and operate your system first.

• Our CDs explain all of the steps in an easy-to-follow way.
• They contain 
  • various starting point quality manuals, policy, procedures, forms and lots of explanations, examples, demonstrations, etc PLUS a complete sample ISO 9001:2000 Quality system in Web-page format!
  • detailed step-by-step explanations of how to produce your own system & select the appropriate Quality Registrar, etc.
  • much more information than I can provide via a Web site.