ISO Certifications for Businesses: Types, Requirements & Certification

Obtaining ISO certification begins with understanding the business’s activities and operations, the requirements of its customers and relevant entities, and the purpose of implementing the system—not simply choosing the most widely known certificate. Systems and standards differ according to each business’s needs and scope of work.

Focuses on quality management, process improvement, consistency in delivering products and services, and greater customer satisfaction.

Focuses on managing environmental aspects and impacts and improving the business’s environmental performance.

Focuses on managing occupational health and safety risks, improving the workplace, and reducing risks associated with operational activities.

Solutions also include specialized systems for food safety, information security, risk management, business continuity and other areas, depending on the business’s activities and needs.

Quality, information security and business continuity, depending on the scope of services, data and systems.

A quality management system and other systems suited to the business’s activities and the requirements of its customers and relevant entities.

1. Choosing an unsuitable standard: Requesting a certificate simply because its name is well known, without checking that it fits the business’s activities or intended goal.
2. Defining the certification scope inaccurately: The scope should clearly reflect the activities and processes to be covered.
3. Missing policies and procedures: Operations may already be in place, but without sufficient documentation of the required policies, procedures and records.
4. Implementation on paper only: Files and policies that are not implemented in practice may lead to observations during the audit.
5. Records and evidence are not ready: The business needs evidence that the system is implemented and functioning, not just written documents.
6. Weak internal review and audit preparation: Failing to identify gaps before the external audit increases the likelihood of nonconformities.
7. Unresolved nonconformities: Observations require root-cause analysis, corrective action and evidence of resolution before certification procedures can be completed.
8. Choosing an unsuitable certification body: Select a body suited to the certification scope and the requirements of the customer or beneficiary. ISO develops standards; it does not itself issue certificates to businesses.

1. Identify the appropriate system and certification scope.
2. Review the current position and identify gaps.
3. Prepare policies and procedures and implement the system.
4. Prepare records and evidence.
5. Conduct the internal review and prepare for the audit.
6. Coordinate with the certification body and address observations.
7. Complete the certification procedures.

The better prepared the business is, and the more correctly its documentation and system are implemented, the less time preparation and completion may take. The timeline varies with the standard, business size, certification scope, readiness and audit outcome.