ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification

• Obtain the standard:

Get a licensed copy of the relevant standard and review the requirements to decide whether certification to this standard is the right fit for your organization.

• Review available literature and use digital tools:

Explore available literature, guidance from standard owners (for example, ISO/TS 9002 for ISO 9001 and ISO 14004 for ISO 14001), and digital resources that can support implementation. As a DNV customer, you also get access to tailored tools designed to help you along the way.

• Build a team and define your strategy:

Implementing a management system should be a strategic decision for the entire organization. Senior leadership should be involved, committed, and active in shaping the system. Leadership defines the business strategy the management system should support, while a dedicated team develops and implements the system.

• Identify competency needs: :

Your implementation and maintenance team needs a strong understanding of the selected standards. Later, the broader organization will need awareness training. DNV offers a variety of public and in-house courses worldwide to meet training needs at every level of your organization.

• Review consultant options:

Independent consultants can help you create a practical, realistic, and cost-effective implementation plan if you do not already have the internal expertise or capacity.

• Develop management system documentation:

Choose an appropriate platform for your documented information, such as software, a process map-based solution, or SharePoint. The right platform helps support effective management, communication, and implementation.

• Identify, manage, and document processes:

Start by identifying your key processes—what they are, how they work, and how they interact. Each process should have a clear purpose, defined responsibilities, and expected outputs. The amount of documented information required depends on your organization’s size, complexity, and the importance of each process, but it must include the documented information needed to achieve intended outcomes and meet the chosen standard’s requirements.

• Implement the management system:

Clear communication and the right competency training are essential. During implementation, your organization works to operate according to defined and documented processes. Once this is in place, you can demonstrate the system’s compliance and effectiveness.

• Select a certification body/registrar:

Selecting the right certification body/registrar can make a difference throughout your certification journey. DNV offers a trusted partnership approach, a risk-based approach and range of free digital tools that help you manage your certification journey before, during and after the audit.

• Consider a pre-audit gap analysis:

Consider a preliminary evaluation by your certification body/registrar to identify and correct nonconformities before starting the official certification process. The purpose is to identify areas of non-conformance or weaknesses, allowing you to correct these before you begin the official certification process.