License ยท Business License
ISO Certification
International quality/management-system certification (ISO 9001, 14001, and more).
What is ISO Certification?
ISO Certification confirms your business's management systems โ quality (ISO 9001), environmental (ISO 14001), food safety (ISO 22000), or information security (ISO 27001), among others โ conform to internationally recognised standards, issued by an accredited certification body after an audit.
ISO standards exist to give businesses a common, internationally recognised framework for consistent process management โ reducing variability in output quality, giving buyers and regulators a shared reference point for due diligence, and formalising practices that many businesses already follow informally but haven't documented.
Unlike a government licence, ISO certification is issued by an accredited third-party certification body rather than a regulator, and there is no single 'ISO certificate' โ each standard (9001, 14001, 22000, 27001, and others) certifies a different management system, and a business can hold several simultaneously if it maintains each system. Certification is not a one-time audit either: it's a cycle of an initial certification audit followed by annual surveillance audits over a typical three-year cycle, with recertification required at the end of that cycle.
Choosing which standard(s) to pursue should follow from what buyers or tenders actually require and where your operational gaps genuinely are โ pursuing ISO 27001 without a real information security management system in place, for instance, sets up a difficult audit and an even harder surveillance cycle to sustain.
Who Needs It
Types & Categories
ISO 9001
Quality Management Systems โ the most widely adopted standard across industries.
ISO 14001
Environmental Management Systems.
ISO 22000
Food Safety Management Systems.
ISO 27001
Information Security Management Systems.
ISO 45001
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.
ISO 13485
Quality Management Systems specific to medical device manufacturers.
Key Benefits
Documents Required
- Existing process documentation and quality manual (if any)
- Business registration documents
- Organisational structure and process flow
- List of applicable processes and departments to be brought within the management system's scope
- Records of any existing internal audits, corrective actions, or customer complaints
Our Process
Standard Selection & Gap Assessment
We identify the applicable ISO standard and assess your current process gaps.
Documentation & Implementation
Required quality manuals, SOPs, and records are put in place.
Internal Audit
An internal audit checks that documented processes are actually being followed before the external audit.
Certification Audit (Stage 1 & 2)
An accredited certification body reviews documentation (Stage 1) and then conducts an on-site audit of actual implementation (Stage 2).
Certificate Issuance
On successful audit, the ISO certificate is issued for the relevant standard and scope.
Surveillance Audit Support
We help you prepare for the annual surveillance audits required to maintain certification through the three-year cycle.
Validity & Renewal
ISO certificates are typically valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits in between required to maintain validity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is re-certification required?
ISO certificates are typically valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits in between to maintain validity.
Can I hold more than one ISO certification at the same time?
Yes โ many businesses hold ISO 9001 alongside a sector-specific standard like 22000 or 27001, and integrated management systems covering multiple standards together are common.
Does the certification body need to be accredited?
Yes โ for the certificate to carry credibility with tenders and buyers, it should be issued by a body accredited under a recognised national accreditation body such as NABCB (or an equivalent IAF-member accreditation body), rather than an unaccredited certifier.
What happens if I fail a surveillance audit?
Non-conformities raised during surveillance typically require corrective action within a set period; unresolved major non-conformities can lead to suspension or withdrawal of the certificate.
How long does implementation take before the audit?
This depends heavily on how mature your existing processes already are โ a business with informal but reasonably consistent practices can often prepare faster than one starting from a blank slate.
Why do NABCB-accredited certificates cost more than unaccredited ones?
An unaccredited certification body can issue a cheaper certificate faster, but it typically carries far less weight with tenders, export buyers, and large corporate clients โ NABCB (or other IAF-recognised) accreditation is what most serious evaluators check for before accepting an ISO certificate as credible.
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