General FAQs
What is ISO?
Why do Standards Matter?
Are ISO Standards Compulsory?
What is the difference between Accreditation Bodies and Certification Bodies?
Do ISO Standards require regular Internal and External Audits?
Do ISO Standards provide Competitive Advantage?
How much does ISO certification cost?
Are discounts available for Certification against more than one ISO Standard?
What are the advantages of an Integrated Management System (IMS)?
What on-going support and resources will I receive from IMS Certification?
Does IMS Certification provide any Training?
How long does the Registration Certificate last?
How long does it take to gain ISO certification?
Three Simple Steps to Certification
What Guarantee does IMS provide?
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) started in 1947 and is the world's largest developer of standards. Between 1947 and the present day, ISO has published more than 15 000 International Standards.
Although ISO's principal activity is the development of technical standards, ISO standards also have important and significant economic and social impacts worldwide. ISO standards make a positive difference, not just to engineers and manufacturers for whom they solve basic problems in production and distribution, but to all society as a whole.
ISO’s official description of itself includes the following extracts:
If there were no standards, we would soon notice. Standards make an enormous contribution to most aspects of our lives - although very often, that contribution is invisible. It is when there is an absence of standards that their importance is brought home.
The International Standards which ISO develops are very useful. They are useful to industrial and business organizations of all types, to governments and other regulatory bodies, to trade officials, to conformity assessment professionals, to suppliers and customers of products and services in both public and private sectors, and, ultimately, to people in general in their roles as consumers and end users.
ISO standards contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner. They make trade between countries easier and fairer. They provide governments with a technical base for health, safety and environmental legislation. They aid in transferring technology to developing countries. ISO standards also serve to safeguard consumers, and users in general, of products and services – as well as to make their lives simpler.
For example, as purchasers or users of products, we soon notice when they turn out to be of poor quality, do not fit, are incompatible with equipment we already have, are unreliable or dangerous. When products meet our expectations, we tend to take this for granted. We are usually unaware of the role played by standards in raising levels of quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability - as well as in providing such benefits at an economical cost.
Although ISO's principal activity is the development of technical standards, ISO standards also have important economic and social repercussions. ISO standards make a positive difference, not just to engineers and manufacturers for whom they solve basic problems in production and distribution, but to society as a whole.
When things go well - for example, when systems, machinery and devices work well and safely - then it is because they conform to standards. And the organization responsible for many thousands of the standards which benefit society worldwide is ISO.
ISO Management Standards such as ISO 9001 are generic management standards and as such they are not compulsory, but it is proven ‘best practice’ for all organisations which want to consistently and successfully manage their operations thereby providing high quality products and services to their customers.
What is the difference between Accreditation Bodies and Certification Bodies?
Accreditation Bodies such as the International Accreditation Agency (IAA) inspect and license the activities of accredited Certification Bodies such as IMS Certification Limited to carry out external audits of organisation’s Management Systems against ISO International Standards, including:
- ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems
- ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems
- OHSAS 18001 Health and Safety Management Systems
Do ISO Standards require regular Internal and External Audits?
Yes, it is a requirement of ISO Standards that organisations are required to have their Management Systems externally audited by a Certification Body each year. Organisations are also required to undertake an annual internal Management System Audit.
Do ISO Standards provide Competitive Advantage?
Yes, independent research clearly shows that ISO Standards give organisations a clear ‘Competitive Advantage’ over their rivals. ISO certified companies gain competitive advantage over their rivals, including:
- More Sales and Profits
- Improved Customer Satisfaction
- Better Customer Retention
- Lower Costs and Wastage
- Better Trained Staff
How much does ISO certification cost?
ISO certification fees start at just £595. There is a graduated fee scale based on the annual turnover of your organisation.
Are discounts available for Certification against more than one ISO Standard?
Yes, your IMS Consultant will advise you about the discounts available.
What are the advantages of an Integrated Management System (IMS)?
Having an IMS provides organisations with many advantages including:
- A unified Management System provides ‘efficiency of scale’ leading to more profits
- An IMS saves the organisation time, expense and enhanced cost reductions
- An IMS enables organisations to more effectively manage their operations
- An IMS makes it easier for organisations to achieve their business objectives
Your IMS Consultant will discuss your specific certification requirements with you.
What on-going support and resources will I receive from IMS Certification?
You do not need to employ any external consultants as we will take care of the whole process for you.
IMS Certification’s slogan of ‘Certification made simple’ really does work. We will ensure the whole process is undertaken with the least disruption to your business and we provide a guarantee to ensure you will gain ‘Certification within 30 days’. Your IMS Consultant will be your dedicated Account Manager, ensuring you have all the on-going support and assistance you require to gain, and retain your Certification Registration.
IMS Certification provides a unique and comprehensive range of Business Templates (Forms), Toolkits and Training Resources available to IMS Customers only.
Does IMS Certification provide any Training?
IMS Certification also provides a range of ISO accredited and certificated on-line Training programmes for those organisations wishing to access additional training resources for their staff.
IMS online Training Programmes include:
- Internal Auditor Programme
- Implementing: Integrated Management Systems (IMS)
- Implementing: Quality Management Systems (QMS)
- Implementing: Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
- Implementing: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)
- Implementing: Health & Safety Management Systems (HSMS)
Your IMS Consultant will discuss your specific training requirements with you.
How long does the Registration Certificate last?
An IMS Certification Registration Certificate for any of the ISO Standards is issued for a 10 year period. To retain your registration, you are required to undertake a successful annual external Audit.
Your IMS Consultant will fully explain the ISO certification process with you.
How long does it take to gain ISO certification?
With IMS Certification, your organisation can achieve ISO certification within just 30 days! You are also assured that there will be very little disruption to your organisation and your management time involved in the certification process will be kept to a minimum.
Three Simple Steps to Certification
IMS Certification’s philosophy of ‘Keep it simple’ involves just three simple steps to successful certification:
Step 1: Presentation
An IMS Assessor visits your Company and explains the ‘Certification made simple’ process. You then select the Standards for which you require Certification.
Step 2: Assessment
Your IMS Assessor will inspect those activities that ‘directly affect the Quality’ of your Products and Services and where required, a programme is developed to resolve any areas of ‘Non-Compliance.’
An Integrated Management System (IMS) Manual is produced and Assessed to meet Certification requirements of each Standard. The Assessment process usually only takes 1 – 2 days.
Step 3: Certification
Upon Certification, your Company is presented with its Registration Certificate. An annual external Audit is required to retain your Certification Registration.
What Guarantee does IMS provide?
Our straight forward written Guarantee states:
‘Certification within 30 days’ and ‘No Certificate No Fee’
So you have no risks at all in gaining ISO Certification with IMS.
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An IMS Certification International Plc group company.
