The ISO Process
To achieve certification, your business must undergo a stage 1 Gap analysis (this is predominantly a one-day audit) and a stage 2 audit (a variable number of days depending on the number of standards you wish to go for, your business type and size, number of offices, and locations).
You pay Compliant Ltd for the management system and expert audit support, and pay the certification body for them to perform the external audit.
Once certified, you continually develop your ISO management system and are audited in the following way.
ISO standards are based on a 3-year cycle. This model ensures that organisations not only initially meet the requirements of ISO certification but also continue to demonstrate conformity.
This process is identical for any standard you gain. There is the first-year surveillance, the second-year surveillance, and the third-year recertification. The cycle then repeats. The number of surveillance days is always less than your initial certification number.
Our fully employed, qualified team supports you from initial certification to expert ongoing support to embed your ISO management system into your business. We can get preferential certification body rates and liaise with the audit planning on your behalf. We remove the stress and maintain and coordinate your certification.
Once you have engaged with us to support you, let us explain precisely what happens.
Gap Analysis And Documentation
To attain certification, you must go through the two-stage process as mentioned.
Firstly, the stage 1 Gap analysis is where the external audit body checks to see what documents you have that adhere to the standard, your company documents, processes, procedures that you currently utilise, and finally, your work environment and compliance (either office or remote), are missing.
Compliant Ltd has all the populated documentation, the check sheet of what your business internally requires, and knowledge of what your site must be like to be audit ready. Secondly, the stage 2 audit.
Compliant Ltd will prepare you for stage 1 as if you were doing your stage 2 audit. The benefit is that there will be very few findings from the stage 1 Gap analysis, giving quality time to embed and prepare for the stage 2 audit.
Compliant Ltd will ensure that all documents adhering to the standard are in place, your company documents are available and relevant, and your work environment is audit-ready.
Compliant Ltd will ensure you are ready for a guaranteed successful and smooth audit. Remember, Compliant Ltd is itself UKAS ISO certified across five standards, so we also walk the walk.
Year 1: Surveillance
Your business will have a sampled assessment of the standards clauses against your business operations to see if all relevant documents relating to the management system are still in place. An external audit is carried out in the same manner as your initial certification stage 2 process. It will be looking for continuous improvement and closing out any findings from your previous year.
A complete check on all documentation and ensure process flows are accurate, and a comprehensive understanding of the Integrated Management System (IMS) to ensure the business meets the standard’s requirements. Check all controls are implemented, objectives, KPI’s maintenance, and corrective actions—meetings with the management team to ensure legal compliance and understanding of the requirements.
Year 2: Surveillance
Your business will have a differing sampled assessment from surveillance 1 of the standards clauses against your business operations to see if all relevant documents relating to the management system are still in place. An external audit is carried out in the same manner as your initial certification stage 2 process. It will look for continuous improvement and close out any findings from the previous year.
A complete check on all documentation and ensure process flows are accurate, and a comprehensive understanding of the Integrated Management System (IMS) to ensure the business meets the standard’s requirements. Check all controls are implemented, objectives, KPI’s maintenance, and corrective actions—meetings with the management team to ensure legal compliance and understanding of the requirements.
Year 3: Re-Certification
Your business will have a comprehensive assessment similar to your stage 2 initial certification audit of all of the standard clauses against your business operations to see if all relevant documents relating to the management system are still in place. An external audit is carried out in the same manner as your initial certification stage 2 process. It will look for continuous improvement and close out any findings from the previous year.
A complete check on all documentation and ensure process flows are accurate, and a comprehensive understanding of the Integrated Management System (IMS) to ensure the business meets the standard’s requirements. Check that all controls are implemented, objectives, KPI maintenance, and corrective actions are met, and meetings with the management team are held to ensure legal compliance and understanding of the requirements.
Compliant Ltd. is competitive and benefits from preferential rates from certification bodies. We guarantee to get you through the process. We can do this quickly or within your timeline. Our comprehensive documentation is of high quality, and we can integrate your documentation into the system easily.
We are flexible and work collaboratively to achieve the outcomes you desire. Our team of full-time employees is there to help and guide you through the process.
Please see our case studies page for total peace of mind.
