ISO 9001 originated from the conglomeration of two different organizations namely United Nations Standard Coordinating Committee (UNSCC) and International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (IFNSA) in 1946 when over 25 nations convened at the Institute of Civil Engineers in central London.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) creates all the essential documents that provide specific guidelines, requirements, specifications, or characteristics that are used to ensure that materials, processes, products, and services are highly fit for their purpose. The body has published over 22025 International standards which can be purchased from the ISO store. The standards cover all sectors including manufacturing in USA, mechanical engineering schools, and even CNC automation.
The ISO 9001 standards bring real and more measurable benefits in various sectors since the standards underpin the technology most industries rely on and ensures quality is adhered to in every stage of CNC machining and CNC manufacturing. Some of the benefits of being ISO 9001 certified include improved efficiency and cost savings, widened market potential, higher level of client service which leads to higher customer satisfaction, and compliance with procurement tenders.
What Are the Steps to Becoming ISO 9001 Certified?
Obtaining an ISO certification for US manufacturing schools or any other industry player requires a significant investment of time, effort, and money. This is a process that will take some time to complete. Below are the essential steps to be followed while seeking ISO certification.
Select a Credible Certification Body
The journey towards being ISO certified starts with identifying a qualified certification body to help you in the process. Since most of the ISO 9001 standards for mechanical engineering are based on a three-year cycle, most of the certification parties will expect the company to sign up a minimum three-year agreement to be considered. Some of the certification bodies will insist on visiting your company several times a year to assess the progress, but a single visit is usually enough to establish the milestones achieved towards the certification.
Develop a Management System
Developing a Management System is an essential part of achieving ISO certification standards. There is the Quality Management System for ISO 9001 standard and the Environmental Management System for the ISO 14001 standard. The core components of the quality management system include analysis and improvement, provision of resources, processes of management activities, and product realization. Once you’ve developed your management system, you’ll be required to fully implement the system, verify if it’s effective, and register it.
Stage 1 Audit
Once you have the quality management system in place, a thorough audit of company activities is what follows. An auditor evaluates your existing systems and provides a well-analysed report identifying suitable actions that need to be undertaken to meet the specific standard. Stage 1 audit is mainly used as a roadmap to the next phase of auditing, so there is no need to worry if you feel like the company is underprepared.
Stage 2 Audit
Stage 2 audit involves fixing all the problems that were identified in stage 1 audit. Once you’ve implemented in the recommendations put forward in the report of stage one audit, an auditor will come in again to complete stage two audit. The purpose of stage two audit is to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of your management system and to establish whether it meets all the requirement of the ISO 9001 standards that you want. If the system is good and it meets all the requirements, then the company will be recommended for ISO certification.