ISO Accreditation

ISO accreditation is accomplished after being certified by what is known as a notified body.
Accreditation itself is the act whereby the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies
(NACCB) approves an organization to operate an assessment and registration or certification
scheme approved by NACCB. This organization conducts an audit to certify adherence to the
appropriate standard. Passing the audit criteria enables the company to be ISO 9000 compliant and
may use the ISO seal to advertise compliance.
Examples of notified bodies: National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI); British Standards
Institute (BSI)
ISO 9001, also known as EN29001, Q91, and BS5750 Part 1, is the model for quality assurance
in design/development, production, installation, and servicing. ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a
quality management system and is the only standard in the family that can be certified to (although
this is not a requirement). It can be used by any organization, large or small, regardless of its field
of activity. In fact, there are over one million companies and organizations in over 170 countries
certified to ISO 9001. It is the specific quality system that applies to companies such as UNISYS,
Hewlett-Packard, and INTEL because they design, manufacture and service products that are
produced in the US. The most important benefit from the registration is access to markets such as
the European Community, which require compliance. A second benefit is competitive advantage
over another supplier who cannot establish ISO 9001 compliance.

ISO 9001
If an ISO initiative would result in a business objective that is part of a business plan, it should be
pursued. A company may decide to seek ISO 9001 certification as a necessary action to remain
competitive within the product area in the emerging worldwide marketplace.
Hiring/Appointment to Lead the Effort
This is the first step in accomplishing the ISO initiative. This person would:
Determine what direction to take
Select an appropriate auditing body for determining compliance and awarding registration
Develop training materials for an internal auditing staff
Oversee implementation of general ISO 9001 quality initiatives
Select notified body from which to obtain certification
Roll out an internal auditor-training program and help establish individual quality manuals
and processes that would be used as a basis to quality for certification
ISO 9001 is the most comprehensive standard. It states specific requirements for the design,
development, production, installation and servicing. It is process oriented and not product or
people oriented.
Registration gives formal recognition that the processes used to produce, deliver, and support
products meet an acceptable level of standard of control and effectiveness. Initial recognition
depends on passing an audit by a qualified organization such as NSAI. Continued registration
depends on passing continued audits. The registration is site specific.

ISO Accreditation in the Philippines

ISO 9001 is an international standard related to Quality Management System, which is applicable
to any organization from all types of business sectors and activities regardless of the size or what
the company does. It focuses on customer satisfaction through the deliverance of quality products
and services. It can help both product and service organizations achieve standards of quality that
are recognized and respected throughout the world.

Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification

Identifies and encourages more Increases customer satisfaction and
efficient and time saving processes retention
Reduces cost and increases Marketing opportunities
productivity
Promotes international trade
Provides continuous assessment and
Increases profit
improvement
Creates a more efficient, effective
operation

Certification Bodies in the Philippines (Source: Philippine Accreditation Bureau)

AJA Registrars Inc.
Brixton Assessment Services
Bureau Veritas Certification Philippines
Certification International Philippines, Inc
SGS Philippines, Inc CBE
TUV Rheinland Philippines, Inc.

Principal Themes of an ISO 9000 Review

ISO 9000 standards set the requirements for a quality system. Its principal themes focus on five
areas:
Documentation: Record what you do.
Practices: Do what you have documented.
Records: Keep evidence of what you have done.
Audits: Check what you do.
Corrective Action: Correct discrepancies that are found.
The IT auditor can contribute to the training and development of internal staff in performing the
audit process. There are a number of questions the organization must ask itself before performing
this function. It is an intensive effort and process that must be followed and performed to the letter.
There must be a commitment to training, learning and education if it is to success. Organization
management must support the process. IT auditing plays a key role in this process. It is a reflection
of corporate management support, institutional cooperation, and the search for better quality in
information systems (IT) operations.

Questions:
T/F: A company may decide to seek ISO 9001 certification as a necessary action to remain
competitive within the product area in the emerging worldwide marketplace.
Ans: True
Identification: This is the model for quality assurance in design/development, production,
installation, and servicing.
Ans: ISO 9001