Management System Certification
Management systems help organisations plan their processes systematically, sustainably and effectively, establishing a dependable framework for quality, environmental management, and occupational health and safety.
Page Contents
- The purpose of management system certification
- ISO 9001 Quality Management System
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
- ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System
- Certification processes and required documentation
What Is a Management System?
Management systems define the ways in which organisations organise their structures and processes in order to achieve effective results by ensuring that their processes are planned smoothly and effectively so that they act systematically.
An effective management system is designed to manage an organisation's policies, procedures and processes and to ensure that the system focuses on sustainability and improvement, thereby facilitating adaptation to constantly changing conditions.
Why Should You Obtain a Management System Certificate?
Holding a management system certification is proof that you comply with the requirements of the relevant standard, that you are able to achieve your policies and objectives, that you operate effectively and efficiently, and that you continuously improve your processes.
Organisations may wish to strengthen their management systems with certification by obtaining third-party audit services in order to check the correct functioning of their management systems and to prevent problems that go unnoticed without an external eye during production and service delivery.
For this reason, third-party certification, or an independent certification body that audits your practices against the requirements of management system standards, is the best way of informing your customers, suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders that you apply the standard correctly.
What Are the Benefits of a Management System?
According to research, organisations that adopt and implement best practices as set out in nationally and internationally recognised standards achieve significant benefits.
Management systems enable organisations to achieve these benefits by adopting best practices and verifying, through certification, that they have been properly established:
- Compliance with national and international standards and official regulations
- Producing the best possible solutions to customer demands and requirements
- Helping the organisation to improve its operations and manage risk
- Achieving customer satisfaction by growing the organisation and expanding customer reach
- It can help to establish trust among interested parties.
ISO 9001
Provides a framework focused on quality management, customer satisfaction and process efficiency.
ISO 14001
Provides a framework for controlling environmental impacts and achieving sustainable performance.
ISO 45001
Provides a systematic approach to managing occupational health and safety risks.
Management System Standards
ISO 9001 Quality Management System
The ISO 9001 Quality Management System Standard, which forms the basis of many standards applied worldwide, has been accepted by different sectors as a customer-focused fundamental quality management system and is applied by public and private organisations in many countries around the world.
The ISO 9001 Quality Management System enables an organisation to increase efficiency in its operational processes, to secure the trust of its stakeholders, and to demonstrate that it is capable of providing products or services that comply with customer requirements and statutory legislation.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
Organisations' interest in achieving and demonstrating sound environmental performance by controlling the environmental impacts of their activities, products and services, in harmony with their environmental policies and objectives, is growing day by day.
The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System has been developed with the aim of providing organisations with the key elements of an effective environmental management system that can be integrated with other management requirements, in order to help them achieve their economic and environmental objectives.
ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System
One of the most important responsibilities of organisations is the issue of human resources, namely that employees do not have a safe and healthy working environment. In order for organisations to achieve better competitive conditions, they need to carry out planned and systematic work in the field of occupational health and safety for their employees.
The purpose of implementing the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety management system is to enable the organisation to provide safe and healthy workplaces, to prevent work-related injury and ill health, and to continually improve its OH&S performance.
What Is the ISO 9001 Quality Management System?
ISO 9001, the most widespread quality management standard globally, is a general management system standard that adds value to your organisation.
The ISO 9001 standard, which enables organisations to improve the quality of their service and performance management, offers requirements on a great many important features to be applied in your quality management, whatever your organisation's field of activity and for any sector.
These requirements are met through the implementation of a Quality Management System covering all stages, from the design stage through production, marketing and after-sales services, and aiming at continuous development within organisations.
What Are the Benefits of the ISO 9001 Quality Management System to Your Organisation?
A management system with effective operation ensures that each company's structure is finely tuned to suit the customer's particular needs and specifications. Thanks to this, working procedures can also be designed flexibly in a way that benefits everyone.
The advantages for organisations implementing the ISO 9001 Quality Management System:
- Development of a quality culture within the organisation,
- Increased profit, efficiency and market share,
- Effective management,
- Better cost-effectiveness through improved processes,
- Improvement in internal communication,
- Extensive monitoring and control across all activities,
- Fewer returns,
- Fewer customer complaints and increased satisfaction,
- It ensures applicability at national and international level.
Target Groups for Certification
A Quality Management System prepared in accordance with ISO 9001 provides an ideal environment for modern businesses of every size, both nationally and internationally, in which to showcase their expertise and efficiency.
Internal business processes, responsibilities and competences are taken into account and the processes to be applied when working with customers and business partners are determined. These standards are applicable to all businesses, whether manufacturing or service-providing, whatever their sector.
How Do You Obtain an ISO 9001 Certificate?
In order for your organisation to hold an ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certificate, it must have completed certain steps. To this end, your organisation's objectives and needs must first be determined.
Following this, establishing a Quality Management System (QMS) in conformity with the ISO 9001 standard is the fundamental condition for obtaining this certificate. However, establishing a QMS is not enough; the system must also be usable and sustainable.
While implementing an effective quality management system is the first condition, the system established must then be checked by a certified auditor or auditors.
What organisations need to do to obtain an ISO 9001 certificate:
- Establish and implement a quality management system in conformity with the principles of the latest ISO 9001 standard
- Have an audit carried out by an accredited and approved Body to assess QMS performance against the latest ISO 9001 standard
Once you have successfully completed the assessment of your QMS performance against the latest ISO 9001 standard, you can receive your ISO 9001 certificate. The ISO 9001 certificate is valid for 3 years. New checks and audits are applied at your organisation every 3 years.
What Documents Are Requested from Your Organisation to Obtain an ISO 9001 Certificate?
Your organisation must provide the following documents in order to obtain an ISO 9001 Certificate:
- Social Security Institution (SGK) Declaration
- Tax Plate
- Trade Registry Gazette
- Certificate of Activity
- Signature Circular
- Official Employee List
- Capacity Report According to Your Sector of Activity
- Production Permit
- Certification Agreement
The ISO 9001 Certification Process
- FQC STANDARD's quotation based on the information provided
- Approval of the quotation
- On-site assessment of the current situation
- Stage 1 Audit: Determination of readiness
- Planning of the audit
- Stage 2 Audit: Certification
- Conducting nonconformity management where required
- Publication of the certification process
- Annual surveillance audits
- Recertification
What Is the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System?
The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is a standard that has gained worldwide acceptance and recognition after the ISO 9001 Quality Management System standard.
The requirements of the standard aim to enable organisations to develop their operational environmental protection in a sustainable manner, to set their own objectives for its implementation and to reduce adverse impact.
The purpose of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is to provide organisations with a framework for protecting the environment and responding to changing environmental conditions in balance with socio-economic needs. It can help your organisation demonstrate its commitment to limiting its environmental footprint using a proven framework.
How Does the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Benefit Your Organisation?
ISO 14001 is applicable whatever a company's size and sector. For this reason, non-governmental organisations, private and non-profit organisations, and manufacturers providing service support can also benefit from the ISO 14001 environmental management system.
A certified environmental management system practice adopted as set out in the standards will enable your organisation to gain competitive advantages.
- Improved compliance with national and/or international legislation,
- Gaining an advantage in international competition,
- Increased company reputation and market share,
- Reduced costs and increased efficiency through improved cost control,
- Reducing incidents that may give rise to liability by preparing for emergencies and accidents;
- Pollution being brought under control and reduced at source,
- Achieving energy savings,
- Facilitating the acquisition of permits and authorisation documents,
- Ensuring acceptability in the global market,
- It demonstrates your commitment to sustainability to your customers, business partners and employees.
What Are the Requirements for Obtaining an ISO 14001 Certificate?
There are a number of prerequisites that your organisation must meet in order to be certified against the ISO 14001 environmental management systems:
- Development of an environmental policy prepared by company management, containing a voluntary commitment to environmental protection and the optimisation of environmental protection measures within the company,
- The appointment of person(s) with command of the organisation's processes to coordinate the environmental management system,
- The establishment of environmental objectives, targets and actions and the monitoring and measurement of the progress recorded towards achieving those targets,
- Communicating the Environmental Policy and Objectives prepared to employees with their participation,
- Determining actual and potential environmental impacts by assessing how the organisation interacts with the environment,
- Reviewing the system and environmental performance and ensuring continuous improvement.
The ISO 14001 Certification Process
- FQC STANDARD's quotation based on the information provided
- Approval of the quotation for the verification / certification of the environmental statement
- Stage 1 Audit: Assessment of readiness
- Planning of the audit
- Stage 2 Audit: Certification audit together with integrated verification of the environmental statement
- Conducting nonconformity management where required
- Publication of the certification process
- Annual surveillance audits
- Recertification
What Is the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System?
ISO 45001 is the only international standard that defines the requirements for an occupational health and safety management system.
The ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System has become a tool for organisations to address occupational health and safety activities systematically and to resolve them within the framework of a continuous improvement approach, in line with their overall strategy.
With the OH&S Management System, the main aim is to establish a framework for managing OH&S risks and opportunities, to clarify the roles and responsibilities of employees, managers and auditors, and thereby to secure employee participation.
What Benefits Does the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Provide to Companies?
ISO 45001:2018, which replaced OHSAS 18001, can make your work easier for organisations operating or trading internationally, as it was developed without regard to geographical, political, economic, commercial and social boundaries and is the world's first internationally recognised occupational health and safety standard.
An Occupational Health and Safety Management System will provide the following benefits to an organisation:
- Demonstrating your awareness of social responsibility by showing your commitment to safe, healthy and sustainable working,
- Preventing loss of workforce,
- Creating a positive image and increasing brand value,
- Improving compliance with legal and regulatory requirements,
- Preventing occupational accidents and, in particular, occupational diseases,
- Strengthening the organisation through proactive risk prevention and continual improvement in occupational health and safety performance;
- It will ensure that risks identified in OH&S risk analyses are determined with a systematic approach and that accidents are minimised by taking the necessary measures for the identified risks.
By When Do Organisations Holding OHSAS 18001 Certification Need to Transition to the ISO 45001:2018 Version?
If your organisation currently holds OHSAS 18001 certification, you need to transition to this standard within three years from March 2018, the date the new ISO 45001 standard entered into force.