Quality management system certification – ISO 9001 is an international standard applied by many Vietnamese businesses. The ISO 9001:2015 certification process includes many steps from building the system to registering and maintaining certification. The following article by Long Phan will analyze in detail the above issues to help businesses effectively deploy a quality management system according to international standards.

Occupations are required to have ISO 9001 certification

According to Vietnamese law, some occupations are required to have ISO 9001 certification. Specifically, the following occupations include:

1. Construction materials products and goods: Circular 19/2019/BXD stipulates that enterprises producing construction materials or importing construction products from abroad must be certified with ISO 9001:2015.
2. Organization of production and business in the petroleum sector: According to Circular 15/2015/TT-BKHCN regulating quantity and quality measurement in petroleum business. Some subjects are required to apply and maintain a quality management system according to national standard TCVN ISO 9001:2015 or a specialized oil and gas quality management system according to standard ISO/TS 29001:2010. Those objects are:

• Import traders;
• Traders producing and mixing products;
• Distributor traders;
• Traders are agents and general agents;
• Traders providing petroleum transportation services need to build.

1. Motor vehicle registration center: Decree 139/2018/ND-CP stipulates that within 18 months (from the date of being granted a certificate of eligibility to operate motor vehicle inspection), the registration unit is required to build Build, apply and maintain a quality management system according to ISO 9001:2015 standards.
2. Fertilizer production and business: Decree 84/2019/ND-CP stipulates that enterprises qualified to produce and trade fertilizers must have ISO 9001:2015 quality management system certification, no later than 1 year later. years from the date of obtaining the certificate of eligibility for fertilizer production.
3. Plant protection drug production: Decree 123/2018/ND-CP stipulates that plant protection drug manufacturing facilities must have a quality management system according to ISO 9001 standards or equivalent certified by organizations. has been registered according to the law.

Applying ISO 9001:2015 brings many benefits to businesses. This standard helps enhance brands, create competitive advantages and improve management efficiency. Therefore, even businesses that are not in required industries can consider applying ISO 9001.

Conditions for ISO 9001 certification

To receive ISO 9001:2015 certification, organizations and businesses need to meet the following conditions:

First: Develop and apply ISO 9001:2015 standards

• The scale of production and business, number of employees, departments, products and services of each enterprise is different. Therefore, businesses must prepare their own documents, processes, instructions and plans to apply ISO 9001 standards.
• Normally, the development and application of ISO 9001:2015 for businesses can take about 6 months – 1 year or longer. Therefore, to shorten the time and ensure the expected effectiveness, businesses should work with ISO certification organizations for advice and support.

Second: Register for ISO 9001:2015 certification

• After having a good quality management system, documents and evidence proving the enterprise’s compliance with ISO 9001: 2015 standards are obtained. At the same time, the enterprise conducts an internal self-assessment. business department to find points that need to be improved and overcome.
• Next, businesses need to register with a certification organization to be evaluated and granted ISO 9001 certification.

Quality management system certification process – ISO 9001

After a business has applied the quality management system according to ISO 9001:2015 standards, to be granted an ISO 9001:2015 certificate by a certification organization, the business needs to go through the following steps:

Step 1: Enterprises make a decision to comply with ISO 9001:2015 standards

• Before deciding to apply ISO 9001:2015 standards, businesses need to learn detailed information about ISO and, if necessary, can send people to participate in training courses on knowledge of ISO certification.

Step 2: Select a person knowledgeable about ISO 9001 as a representative

• A quality management system that meets ISO 9001:2015 standards requires organizations and businesses to have at least one representative knowledgeable about ISO 9001 to act as a quality leader. At the same time, the leader will supervise and guide the implementation of the quality management system at the enterprise and participate in monthly internal assessments of ISO 9001.

Step 3: Plan implementation according to ISO 9001:2015 standards

To plan specifically for the application of ISO 9001:2015 standards, businesses need to clarify the following issues:

• What requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 standard has the enterprise met?
• What do businesses need to change to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2015?
• How to divide personnel to take charge of tasks when changing?

Step 4: Notify internal businesses about the application of ISO 9001:2015

• After making a specific plan for applying ISO 9001 standards, businesses need to notify employees and departments about the application of ISO 9001 standards. At the same time, there are documents and notices guiding everyone. People understand the plan clearly, easily understand and follow.

Step 5: Write ISO 9001 documents for businesses

• Preparing ISO 9001:2015 documents is not simple, however there will be forms for businesses to refer to. Enterprises should seek advice and coordinate with certification organizations to know how to prepare documents that are appropriate and closely related to the reality of the enterprise.

Step 6: Apply ISO 9001:2015 standards to business practices

• After completing the ISO 9001 document, businesses need to send notifications to employees and departments to understand and implement it.
• During the implementation process according to ISO 9001 standards, the representative responsible for ISO of the enterprise needs to monitor and record arising problems to find solutions to solve and overcome the problems.

Step 7: Internally evaluate the business after applying ISO 9001

• The representative responsible for ISO of the enterprise conducts a monthly assessment of the quality of the enterprise’s work after applying ISO 9001:2015. This will be the basis to determine whether a business can register for certification or not.

Step 8: Register for certification 

• The enterprise sends the certification registration form to the certification organization. If it is deemed that the enterprise meets all the conditions and requirements that ISO sets out for each item, the enterprise will be granted an ISO 9001:2015 certificate.

Step 9. Maintain the system and validity of ISO 9001:2015 certificate.

• After being granted ISO 9001:2015 certification, businesses must still ensure to maintain their quality management system in accordance with regulations. After each cycle of 6-9 months or 12 months, the certification organization will reassess to consider whether to continue maintaining the validity of ISO 9001 certification for the business or not.

Consulting services and support for ISO 9001 certification registration

Consulting and support services for registering for ISO 9001 certification help customers save time and effort in preparing registration documents and contacting certification organizations. Customers can choose a consulting unit for support during the registration process. With its experience, Long Phan can support you effectively and quickly when registering for ISO 9001 certification. Long Phan’s services include:

• Supports assessment of current business status.
• Instructions for implementing processes and procedures.
• Prepare certification application documents.
• Support in the assessment process of certification organizations.
• Support in completing documents to receive certification.

ISO 9001 certification brings many practical benefits to businesses. Customers need to master the registration process and certification conditions for effective implementation. For detailed advice on ISO 9001, please contact Long Phan via hotline 0906735386. Long Phan is ready to support you throughout the process of building and maintaining a quality management system according to international standards.