WHY DO I NEED IT?
It is becoming more and more important, especially if you or your clients market your product on the international market, to have a recognised quality certificate. The certificate shows you have control over all the departments that have an impact on the quality of the product or service your company provides.
What will it cost?
Costs are generally calculated on an hourly basis. A quotation will be done once the amount of work required to achieve compliance is established.
In addition, IQS offers optional service contracts where we will support you in maintaining (and improving) the effectiveness of the QMS by assisting with activities such as the internal audits, updating of documents and monitoring compliance requirements.
What is involved?
To have an effective QMS you need to have a Quality Manual, Procedures and Forms to prove you document and record all the necessary processes it takes to produce your product / service.
While this may mean there is additional paperwork, we have most companies do the work but fail to record it. We will make a system that works for you and not the other way round.
How long will it take?
It all depends on the size of your company and what quality processes you may already have in place, and while it is relatively quick to develop and implement the QMS, you need about 6 months to establish sufficient evidence that the QMS is being used and the necessary records are available for the audit.
Does the company need to employ extra staff?
Normally, a company does not need to employ any additional staff.
You will need to appoint someone to fill key positions but you can nominate someone within your organisation. They may need some training (which we can help with) – and with the assistance of IQS, we can maintain the QMS.
What is the difference between certification and accreditation?
Certification: Compliance with a standard or specification; has a relatively general scope of recognition and considers the total business.
Accreditation: Recognition of specific technical competency; has a very specific scope and shows the company is competent to perform specific tests.
It is not unusual for a company to be ISO 9001 certified and ISO 17025 accredited especially if the laboratory forms part of a larger organisation.