Obtaining the ISO 9001:2015 certification

As soon as you have applied for ISO 9001:2015 from a certification body such as TÜV NORD Singapore, you are ready to begin the certification process.

The certification audit consists of two stages as below;

• Phase 1: Preliminary investigation
  Does your business meets the ISO 9001 requirements on paper? If the answer is yes then your business is ready for the on site certification audit

• Stage 2: Implementation audit
  This ensures the Quality Management System has been effectively deployed, through interviews with sample of employees. The results are then documented in an audit report detailing conformities and non-conformities (if any).

• Phase 3: Certification decision
  If your Quality Management System comply with requirements, the auditor will note the positive observations and communicate these at the closing meeting.

Shortly after the assessment you will receive the audit report with observations, conformities and non-conformities (if any).  If requirements are met, we will proceed with certification process.

The certification cycle is typically 3 years with audits conducted annually.  If the organisation elects to continue with certification, a renewal assessment is conducted on the 4th year

• Year 1: Initial audit
• Year 2: 1st Surveillance
• Year 3: 2nd Surveillance
• Year 4: Renewal

Though a major milestone in the company's lifecycle, certification to ISO 9001:2015 is start of a continuous process for quality improvement.  The mindset and quality culture needs to be nurtured across the organisation, so TÜV NORD Singapore provide suite of training courses to induct new and existing employees to the quality ethos. 

And as the organisational structure and business activities adapt to market landscape, the scope of certification would also need to change.  TÜV NORD Singapore can provide special audits, extension to site or scope assessments, and multi-site certification to help organisations adapt to these changes.

Ultimately, certification drive benefits well beyond the piece of paper hanging from the wall.  This is where TÜV NORD Singapore help organisations realise the transformative value of certifications.