ISO 9001 Certification Cost and Implementation Process
When an organisation is considering implementing ISO 9001, one of the main questions from management is what the ISO 9001 certification cost is. However it is not possible to determine the overall cost before considering all the requirements for the project.
There is a large amount of factors which affect the ISO 9001 certification cost and for organisations without experience in implementing an ISO 9001 quality management system, it can be difficult to determine the overall cost.
Using the support and expertise of ISO 9001 consultants can reduce the cost of implementing your ISO 9001 quality management system. They are familiar with the process and is able to help implement it within a shorter time frame, additionally the end result is often a more effective management based on best practices.
Factors Affecting the ISO 9001 Certification Cost
The main factors affecting the ISO 9001 certification cost are:
- Your Industry: The more complex it is, the higher the cost to implement the ISO 9001 quality management system.
- Amount of sites: The more sites the higher the ISO 9001certification cost.
- Amount of people: The cost of the certification goes up depending on the amount of people.
- Extent of existing QMS: The more that is already in place, the lower the ISO 9001 certification cost.
If you are looking for an estimate, then contact us for a free consultation and a no obligation quote.
As for the certification cost alone, the certification bodies operate a three-year ISO certification cycle as outlined below.
- First step is an initial audit where the certification is received if the organisation complies with the ISO 9001 standard.
- The following 2 years the certification body would conduct surveillance audits.
- At the end of the third year the certification body would conduct a recertification audit.
The costs of ISO certification will be spread across these activities conducted over a three year period. However it is up to the discretion of the certification bodies how they break these costs down.
Example of ISO Certification Costs
There is no such thing as an ISO 9001 price list as it depends on various factors as stated in previous section above, however it is possible to review the typical ISO certification cost to estimate the overall cost. The ISO 9001 certification cost can be split up in following categories.
ISO 9001 Implementation Costs
This cost is for the implementation of the ISO 9001 quality management system or any other ISO standards a given organisation intend to implement. It is often more cost efficient and effective to implement standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 1401, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001 together rather than separately.
The implementation cost will depend on whether you use internal resources; use an ISO 9001 consultant or a combination of both. If using internal resources you should estimate the cost of the time they use to develop and implement the system as well as training they would be required to undertake. If using ISO consultants to support with the implementation, you should expect at least £350 per day for a consultant.
Often organisations find using an ISO consultant is more cost effective and results in a more effective quality management system. The reason being, they have implemented systems across various other organisations and gained experience with what works better and how to use resources efficiently during implementation.
Often additional cost is added if using internal resources in terms of cost for training and the time required attending various courses. If you go ahead with an ISO consultant, these are included in their fee.
ISO 9001 Certification Cost
The certification cost depends on the size of your organisation, the number of sites and the level of risk associated with the products or services you provide. If you for example are a small company of 3-5 employees you are typically looking at minimum £1500 for the initial assessment. ISO certificates are issued for a period of 3 years and during that time certification bodies will conduct surveillance audits on a yearly cycle or every 6 month depending on the certification body used. The surveillance audits are to ensure ongoing compliance to the standard.
For a similar size company as used in above example, the annual cost would be approximately £1000 on a yearly basis. At the end of a three year period a recertification is required which cost approximately 50-70% of the initial assessment. Additionally some certification bodies charge an additional annual registration fee of £100-400.
If using the example above with the 3-5 employees in an organisation, then the expected ISO 9001 certification cost for a three year period should be expected around £3500-4500.
ISO 9001 Cost
As outlined above, then there are many factors affecting the ISO 9001 cost for an organisation which is why there is no ISO 9001 price list available that fits all. However if contacting one of our ISO 9001 Consultants, then they would be able to provide a no obligation quote, after a free 5-10 min consultation.
Reducing Cost with an ISO 9001 Consultant
The goal is not just to obtain an ISO 9001 certification, the whole purpose is to implement a management system which drives continual improvement within your organisation, reduces cost and provide better products and services.
This is where the benefits of our ISO 9001 consultants come into the picture. They are able to facilitate and plan the required actions to implement an ISO 9001 QMS. Our ISO consultants can assist with documenting processes, identify process improvements, provide training across all levels of the organisation and conduct in depth audits on the management system.
The added value comes from the knowledge and experience they have built up over time from working with many different types of organisations.
Our clients often see cost reduction in the time it takes to implement the system, the improved efficiency of the management system and its ability to drive continual improvement and cost reduction.
If your organisation is interested in implementing an efficient ISO 9001 Quality Management System or any of the other ISO standards, please contact us for a free no obligation quote on your ISO 9001 certification cost.
