How To Check If a Company Is ISO 9001

Certified? A Step-By-Step Guide

When we choose a company to deliver a good or service, we expect and want them
to give us a high quality and positive experience. With an ISO 9001 certification, a
company is telling consumers and the business world that it cares about their
output and delivering their goods or services to the best of their abilities.

How can you check if a company is ISO 9001 certified? You can check if a
company is certified with documented proof and by searching with their
registrar or accrediting bodies.

Some firms will only hire a company to do a job if they are ISO 9001
certified. This ensures that companies are holding themselves
accountability to high standards.

It is a good idea to check into certification if a company advertises it holds one. You
want to ensure legitimacy as this certification takes significant effort to obtain.
Double checking their certification will build a trusting relationship with a client.
Working exclusively with credentialed firms will keep you confident in getting your
job done. 
How To Check If a Company Is ISO 9001 Certified? A Step-By-Step Guide
When working with a firm, you may choose to only work with ISO 9001-certified
companies. There are many reasons that clients will do this. It establishes the
company as committed to quality assurance and consistent improvement to their
business operations.

Making all their processes efficient and continually striving to be better places
confidence in a consumer. They can trust a firm will work in their best interest and
deliver a great product or service.

Working with ISO 9001 certified companies exclusively will not only
ensure that a company will serve your needs according to their well-
defined standards, but it also speaks to your values.

You appreciate a job that is well-planned and executed as well as working with
companies that are committed to high quality. Both firms’ priorities are set on
excellence and high standards. This will create a cohesive working relationship that
is transparent.

Unfortunately, there is always fear that a company may broadcast certifications

that they do not have in order to boost their image and bring in business.

Because some people are skeptical or just want to verify the information, there are
different avenues to take in ensuring this certification is legitimate. If you are a
client who will be using a firm for contracted work or needs a service, you can and
should double check that their certification is valid.

These are the steps you should take to ensure that an organization is ISO 9001
certified. These will ensure you are working with a legitimate and honest firm.

Claiming certification reaps significant benefits for a company and you should
ensure that they are truthfully certified. Knowing this will allow you to build trust
with the contracted company.
Request a Copy of the Certificate of Registration

When you have chosen a company to work with for some project or contracted
work, you should ask them for a copy of their certification. This is not an
inconvenience for a company as they should be giving this to every client that
requests it. If a firm has a valid certification, there should be no issue in delivering
this request. Seeing a physical copy of a certificate of registration is the best way to
prove that a company is certified.

This certification should be issued by the certification body to which the company’s
certification is registered. This will give you all the details of the certification,
including time frame and scope of the deliverables to meet specific ISO 9001
requirements.

Examples of Certificates of Registration:

 

 
 

Look at the Date

Once you have received a copy of the certificate, you need to make sure it is
completely valid. One of the ways that certification may not be legitimate is through
an expired date. Getting certified is a process in itself, but maintaining certification
is just as difficult. Many firms go through the efforts of becoming certified in order
to expand their business scope. While this is the first step in acquiring new
business, maintaining the certification is key in delivering the stated process
improvements. Because improved efficiency is a key component of meeting the
standards of the certification, standards must continue to be met. Check the date
on the certification to ensure that they are still ISO 9001 certified. We may
overlook this when we see that they have been certified once!

Expired certificates may have valid explanations

 Issues on the registrars end in issuing a recertification on time. If this occurs,

it may just take additional time for the process to be completed and is not
always the fault of a firm.
 They were not ready for recertification and had to postpone. If this occurs,
you should see a plan and agenda for this recertification taking place before
entering a contract with the firm.
This is actually not always a negative as a business is being up-front about issues
they need to resolve within the firm and that they are committed to fixing them
effectively. Transparency and honesty is a strong quality in any upstanding
business.

Make Sure Documents Are Specific

ISO 9001 certification is unique in that the standards a business must meet are
specific to the individual firm. This allows for a company to improve metrics and
processes that are catered to their business.

A generic set of standards may not apply to all companies, so this ensures that a
business is able to further their efficiency in ways that specifically benefit them.

When looking at the certification, you should be reading through the standards and
deliverables that the business sets themselves to. If you know what the business
aims to do and if they are hitting those goals, you can confidently believe their
certification is valid.

If these documents do not match the goals or functions of the company, they may
not be adhering to their certification or this certification is not legitimate.

An important example: An organization can certify one plant or location in their

company but not another. Make sure the processes and all parts of the business
you interact with are certified.

Just because a company holds a certification for the operation of a specific plant,
does not mean it also holds this for another. You have to be very detail-oriented in
this regard!

Look for an Accreditation Body Stamp

Because ISO 9001 certified companies undergo an external audit to make sure their
requirements are being met, there should be a stamp or indication from a registrar.

If there is no accreditation body marking on the document, you should be

suspicious of the document’s validity. Approval and yearly audits are required in
order for a firm to maintain their credential.

If you see the name of the registrar on the certificate, the easiest way to verify is to
call the organization. They will be able to tell you if they have issued this certificate
and any additional details about the firm’s specific certification.

Examples of Accreditation Body Stamps:

 

 
Check to See If the Accreditation Body is Valid

There are many third-party auditors who may not be members of the International
Accreditation Forum (IAF). This list ensures that auditors and the companies they
represent are trained and certified to complete this audit effectively.

There are many organizations that are not certified and this forum is a good
resource to check! Businesses that want to closely abide by ISO 9001 standards will
use a registrar that is verified.

Not all certification bodies are accredited. This not always a problem. Being an
accredited organization is not a requirement, but often times firms will choose to
work with a body that has taken the extra step to become accredited.

Some non-accredited certification organizations have strong reputations in a

specific industry or category. Just do some research into the organization to make
sure it is legitimate.

Being accredited may make you more comfortable as a client, but it is not required
in knowing that a company has been certified by a reputable source.

Verify Firm on Accreditation Site

Now that you have confirmed that the accreditation or certification body is valid and
able to carry out valid audits, make sure the firm is listed in their database.

Accreditation bodies will publish the businesses in which they have given
certifications to. If a company is listed, you can confirm that the company has been
properly certified and is adhering to their ISO 9001 requirements.

If A Firm is Not Certified

If you find out that issues arose with any of the above steps and these cannot be
rectified, find another supplier who is certified. There is no reason to work with a
firm that said they were certified when they were indeed not.
This could suggest deceitful business practices, inability to deliver upon set
standards, or a lack of attention to detail. Firms that did not abide by their
requirements may not instill the most confidence in clients who are looking for well-
designed and delivered products or services.

Working with a fully legitimate and accredited firm poses less risk for problems in
your business ventures.

Following these steps will help you to confirm that a business is legitimately ISO
9001 certified. Being very careful and paying close attention to every step will
prevent any misunderstanding or oversights.

Taking the extra time to check is worth knowing that you are working with a firm
that is committed to operating at their best and supplying you with the deliverable
you hired them for.

Do All Companies Need ISO 9001 Certification?

Not all companies need ISO 9001 certification, but it does instill more confidence in
a client or consumer. Because many firms only work with accredited businesses,
many companies do need the certification in order to stay competitive and attract
new business.

There is no legal requirement for a business to be ISO 9001 certified. But

certification does pose specific benefits to the company. These are detailed in the
next section!

Many companies that are not certified:

 Miss out on potential business opportunities

 Are not operating at their greatest efficiency
 May be incurring unnecessary business costs
 Prevent employees from operating at their full potential
These issues can be avoided or improved upon with certification! While no
requirement for this certification is in place, these are major aspects to the success
of a firm. Becoming certified could transform the potential for your business to
succeed.
How Does ISO 9001 Benefit The Company?
If your documentation is clear, specific to your firm, well-organized and
achievable, ISO 9001 has numerous benefits for the credentialed
organization. 

Consumer Confidence

Having a certification shows clients and customers that quality is important to you.
They are more likely to work with a firm that they trust and know is committed to
doing a good job. 

The more honest and transparent you are with the consumer will only lead to
greater benefits for both parties. This confidence in your firm through your revealed
values drives the next benefit to the firm: increasing business opportunities.

More Business 

Some clients will only work with credentialed organizations. With this certification,
your firm will be opened up to more business opportunities and potential for
additional contracts. This will only increase earning potential.

The more clients you are able to deliver for, the better your reputation will be
within your given industry.

Reduced Costs
Emphasis on efficiency and quality will eliminate costly and unnecessary methods.
This will drive costs down to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness within the
firm. 

Because ISO 9001 aims at improving the specific processes by which your firm
operates, there is close attention paid to making sure a business can best provide
for their clients as well as their internal operations.

Consistency 

Having set standards will also make firm expectations and execution clear.
Procedures should be completed using the same steps and processes every time,
allowing for a consistent product or service to the end user. 

This consistency also allows for avoiding mistakes within the organization that can
limit efficiency and therefore cost the firm more money.

Goal-Driven Team

With requirements to meet consistently, having this credential will give your team
something to work toward together. Keeping employees motivated and engaged
can be accomplished with the common goal for achieving quality.

Tying your brand closely to the quest for quality can keep employees and
management focused on the goal in all their job functions. Including them in this
process is key and will only enhance the success of your organization.

Buy in from employees and team members is important in making ISO 9001
requirements work. If your team does not work toward meeting these goals, the
firm will not be able to withstand consistent audits and recertification.

Strong leadership and Management Reviews

A key component to ISO 9001 requirements is leadership development,

accountability and Management Reviews. Leaders within an organization are
responsible for driving profits and efficiency.

These standards ensure that the leaders work toward consistent improvement and
guide their employees to complete job functions to the best of their abilities.

Build Brand Recognition and Respect 

Beyond the quest for running your firm as efficiently and successfully as possible,
ISO 9001 certification is an excellent marketing tool for consumers and other firms.
The business will set itself apart from similar firms without certification by placing
emphasis on excellence. The firm will gain recognition and a positive reputation for
being committed to delivering a high-quality service or product. 

How Does ISO 9001 Benefit Customers?

Consumers also benefit from certification! Having standards in place increases
overall business practices.

Trust in a Firm

When selecting a product or service, you want to make sure you are getting the
best of the best. Continued improvement by adhering to standards reveals that the
firm is concerned with the consumer’s best interest.

Investment in the consumer creates trust between the two parties. A trusting
business relationship will allow interactions to run smoothly.

Better Quality Products 

Not only will you be able to trust a company for their products, but continued
emphasis on improvement will drive services and products upward.

The customer will benefit from higher quality products and services as standards
are continually met and improved upon. Companies will strive to hit these goals as
they may lose business to competitors.

Being held accountable by the ISO 9001 standards is a strong force in driving
quality.

Consistent Record Keeping

A key component of meeting ISO 9001 standards is clear and consistent

documentation.

This benefits the consumer as they are able to oversee the operations of a company
and choose what kind of firm they want to work with. This is also helpful for their
own records if they choose to work with a firm.

They will have copies of documents that pertain to their business dealings with
these accredited firms.

ISO 9001 credentials are beneficial to all working parties. Ensure that these
certifications are valid for a positive and honest working relationship. Both parties
should pay close attention to making sure the certification is up to date and
standards are consistently being met.
The goal of working with these firms is to drive efficiency and ensure the highest
quality products and services.