How Much Will it Cost & How Long Will it Take to get ISO 9001 Certification?
How much does it cost to obtain ISO 9001 certification in Australia? Just as the cost of building a house can vary significantly depending on quality, size, scope, and schedule, so can the cost of ISO 9001 certification. You could say “how long is a piece of string?” as there are a number of factors that influence ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification cost and timeframes to certification.
Factors that may affect the time and cost of ISO certification:
What systems, policies and procedures are already in place?
An organisation might be almost there, or they could be just getting started – this is where engaging an ISO 9001 Consultant to complete a Gap Analysis Audit is beneficial.
What is the scope of the products and/or services offered by the organisation?
The larger the scope, the longer (and more costly) the development of the system will be.
What is the size of the company?
Larger companies = more stakeholders so this factor will affect development and implementation requirements. Alternative implementation strategies may be required for small, medium and large enterprises.
Is the Senior Management Team committed to Quality and Continuous Improvement or do they “just want the certificate”?
If the culture of quality doesn’t come from the top then there is a much higher likelihood of delayed schedules and limited adoption of the Quality Management System.
What is the availability of key personnel?
If key personnel are not available to provide input into the development of the ISO 9001 QMS then delays are probable and personnel will not have ownership over the system – another contributor to the likelihood of delays.
Is the ISO Consultant fully qualified with extensive experience across a wide variety of industry sectors?
An ISO Consultant that is in high demand may cost more than newer, inexperienced consultants but their systems are almost certainly of a higher quality with lower administrative overheads so you will save money in the long run.
Does the company have an established Strategic Plan that provides clear direction for operational activities?
Documenting a Strategic Plan and establishing the strategic direction of the organisation is a great first step in establishing a Quality Management System.
Government Funding Grants for ISO 9001 Certification
Did you know that many Australian businesses are actually eligible for help with ISO 9001 Certification through a government-funded Business Growth Grant? Click HERE for more information.
How long does it take to get ISO 9001 Certification?
With regards to timeframes, we recommend a three-month schedule:
month 1 for the Quality Management System development,
month 2 for implementation of the Quality Management System, and
month 3 for internal audit and management review.
Quality Management Systems can be built, implemented and certified in as little as ten days, however, very short timeframes have the potential to result in rushed development and immature implementations. Likewise, if you take more than three months then the project can often lose momentum and does not remain at the forefront of priorities. The three-month schedule seems to work well.
If your organisation is looking to achieve certification to ISO 9001 and are considering Quality Management System cost then we recommend you obtain a number of quotes from ISO 9001 Consultants and JAS-ANZ accredited certification bodies. Ensure you undertake due diligence and understand What to Look for when choosing an ISO 9001 Quality Consultant because a badly designed system will definitely cost you in the long run – beware of cheap ISO 9001 Certification!
Remember – you get to use the certification logo of the Certification Body that you use so if this is important then make sure you like the logo before you select a Certification Body.
Complete an internal audit to ensure the quality management system conforms with clauses 4 -10 of ISO 9001 and is effectively implemented and hold a QMS Management Review Meeting.
Stage 1 is a documentation audit to ensure your system meets the requirements of ISO 9001, and
Stage 2 is an implementation audit to ensure you have implemented the system as documented.
That is it – provided you pass the audit and action any major non-conformances then you are certified!
If you haven’t developed a Quality Management System before then it may pay to engage an ISO 9001 Consultant to assist with the process – if they do their job properly then the Certification Body audit should be a tick in the box process.
If you think that you may be partway there, but would like to know how you are tracking, then consider engaging a Streamline ISO Consultant to undertake a Gap Analysis Audit. Gap Audits are a great way to have an external party complete an independent assessment of your quality management system and provide you with a detailed action list with recommendations prior to completing Stage 1 of your certification audit.
How Streamline can help
Streamline ISO Consultants can design, develop and implement a certification-ready Quality Management System from the ground up to meet ISO 9001 requirements. If you already have an existing management system in place we will help you integrate ISO 9001:2015 into your current management system (eg ISO 45001 Safety or ISO 14001 Environmental) to form an Integrated Management System (IMS).
Our trained and experienced ISO 9001 Consultants have a 100% track record achieving certification for our clients and we guarantee your ISO 9001:2015 quality management system will get certified by a JAS-ANZ accredited Certification Body.
Contact Us Today
If you’d like more information, or to request a Quick Quote please use the form to the right and one of our ISO consultants will contact you within one business day. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact us directly by emailing [email protected] or by calling:
