ISO 9001 FAQ

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1. What is ISO 9001?
Published and overseen by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 9001:2008 is the International Standard for Quality Management Systems and is recognised worldwide. It is essentially a set of guidelines for running a company in such a way that customer requirements are satisfied first time, on time - each and every time.
2. How do we achieve certification?
To get registered for ISO 9001, your business must have a documented and implemented Quality Management System. A third party assessment body must then audit these procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the standard before a certificate can be issued. HPA only recommend using a UKAS accredited assessment body.
3. What does it cost?
The cost of achieving registration has reduced significantly over the last 10 -15 years. In some areas, Government grants are now available to cover up to 50% of the cost. Hatton Parkinson Associates also operates a payment plan designed to take the pain out of the process by spreading the cost over an extended period. Following a short meeting we will provide a fixed price quotation for all work involved.
4. Will ISO 9001 make more paperwork?
No. With small businesses, the assessor will not expect a complicated system, so we don't create one. Provided you have practical, common sense systems for running your business, there should be little extra documentation required.
5. Will ISO 9001 slow down our customer service?
Many small businesses have built their reputation on rapid response to customer enquiries or orders. Often the job is "out of the door" before the official order arrives. They are worried that they won't be able to "cut-corners" like this when they are ISO 9001 approved. Nothing could be further from the truth. Complying with ISO 9001 simply means you have a good system for handling those kinds of orders retrospectively - to avoid making mistakes.
6. What is accredited certification?
To ensure that companies registered for ISO 9001 have been assessed to a consistent standard, the Government has set up a regulatory body called the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Only assessment bodies accredited by UKAS can include the "tick and crown" symbol in their logo. You may be offered unaccredited certification - or even certification accredited by bodies other than UKAS. These services are often provided at a very attractive price and in a very short timescale. However, it is unlikely that these certificates will be acceptable to your customers.
7. Does HPA issue certificates?
No, we work with third party UKAS accredited bodies to provide certification services to our clients.
8. What are the benefits of ISO 9001 registration?
Our clients have told us that the most common benefits to achieving ISO 9001 certification can be described as follows:

  • "We believe it has opened doors for us that would otherwise have remained closed"
  • "It has made our business easier to manage, more effective and less prone to making mistakes, which saves us money and helps us to provide a better service to our customers"