Achieving ISO 9001 certification can be a huge boon for a business. Not only does this accreditation inspire confidence in potential customers, but it can also open the door to a number of lucrative contracts (in the UK defence industry, for instance) that specify ISO certification as a requirement.

However, many companies that potentially stand to benefit from ISO 9001 certification shy away from pursuing because of the cost. If you're worried that ISO 9001 certification will put too big a dent in your organisation's finances, we at NPT Management Systems may be able to help...

How we can help you to save money

We have been helping businesses to secure ISO 9001 certification for many years, and during our time in this industry, we have forged close ties to a number of independent UKAS-accredited certification bodies. Getting certified via one of these bodies is one of the most costly parts of the ISO 9001 process, but interestingly, not all certification bodies charge the same amount - and that's where we come in.

If you get in touch with NPT Management Systems and explain your certification requirements to a member of our team, we will gather certification quotes from the many UKAS-accredited bodies to whom we have ties. We will then pass the best quotations along to you so that you can make a final decision.

This comparison service is totally free of charge. If you'd like to find out more regarding the cost of iso 9001 certification, please email enquiries@nptmanagementsystems.co.uk today.

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So you want to gain ISO 9001 certification for your business...but you're not sure of how to achieve this?

Don't worry! Here at NPT, we've helped countless organisations to achieve ISO certification on the first attempt, and we're more than happy to advise company owners who - when it comes to ISO 9001 - don't know where to start.

Here's a rough guide to the ISO 9001 certification process that you and your organisation will need to go through in order to gain that all-important accreditation.

Stage 1 - Planning

In order to achieve ISO 9001 certification, you will need to implement a quality management system (QMS) that meets ISO requirements and is geared towards maximising the quality of your output and the satisfaction of your customers/clients. The first thing to do is plan how you will do this; you may have to start from scratch with a brand new quality management system, or if you already have a QMS in place, you may simply have to plan some changes and improvements to bring it into line with the ISO 9001 standard.

Stage 2 - Implementation

Once you have a robust plan in place, the next stage is to implement your quality management system throughout the whole of your organisation. In order to achieve ISO 9001 certification, you will need to ensure that every member of every department is operating within the system you have laid out!

Stage 3 - Certification

Finally, you will need to seek certification via a UKAS-accredited body. They will evaluate your QMS and how it is being implemented, then award certification if everything conforms.

Do you need help with this process? We at NPT can help you to plan and implement an ISO-compliant quality management system; we can also help you to select a certification body for the final stage of the process. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Looking to achieve ISO 9001:2008 certification for your organisation? If so, you may be interested to learn that this is no longer the latest version of the ISO 9001 standard. In fact, it was revised two years ago and superseded by ISO 9001:2015.

What happened to ISO 9001:2008?

ISO review their globally-recognised standards every few years in order to ensure that they are reflective of the current marketplace and its latest trends and technologies. In September 2015, they published ISO 9001:2015, a new revision of their well-known ISO 9001 standard for quality management systems.

Aside from being more user-friendly and simpler to understand than its predecessor, the 2015 edition brought the structure of the ISO 9001 standard into line with other management system standards (such as ISO 14001) to enable easier synchronisation. ISO 9001:2015 also places greater focus on leadership and risk management.

What does this mean for my business?

• If you do not yet hold ISO 9001 certification, this change simply means that you should now pursue ISO 9001:2015 certification instead of ISO 9001:2008 accreditation.
  
  
• If you are already certified under ISO 9001:2008 by a UKAS-accredited certification body, you have until the end of September 2018 to transition - if you have not migrated to ISO 9001:2015 by this time, your ISO 9001:2008 certification will become invalid. It is important to remember that it takes time to transition, so if you haven't yet started planning to transition to ISO 9001:2015, you should do so now.

Whether you are looking to migrate to ISO 9001:2015 or get your organisation certified for the first time, NPT Management Systems can help. We work with businesses of all sizes across all sectors, and we have a superb track record when it comes to ISO 9001 certification.

Contact us to discuss your requirements with one of our expert ISO 9001 quality consultants.

We are proud to announce that British naval architects Canark Marine have selected NPT Management Systems as their ISO 9001 management system consultants.

Based in Southampton, Canark specialise in classic yacht revival utilising their expert skills in naval architecture, structural design and mechanical engineering.

"We were delighted to be selected by Canark Marine," said NPT's Principal Consultant Neil Peattie. "Given our close ties to the UK marine industry, we feel like there's a perfect fit between our two companies. We have actively been promoting the benefits of ISO 9001 within the marine sector of late, and we have helped a number of clients in Southampton and along the south coast as a whole to achieve ISO 9001 certification."

Achieving ISO 9001 certification is a great way to demonstrate that your organisation has a management system in place to support the needs of your customers. As the leading quality consultants in Southampton, we are always keen to help local companies implement tailor-made, ISO-compliant management systems to gain a competitive edge over their competitors.

If you are in the marine industry and feel that you could benefit from the services of NPT Management Systems, please contact us today.

Are you concerned that your organisation may be spending too much money on ongoing ISO 9001 certification costs? If so, we can help!

Based in Southampton, NPT Management Systems is a specialist ISO consultancy with a superb track record. We excel at delivering great results whilst keeping costs to a minimum, and over the years we have forged close relationships with many UKAS-accredited certification bodies across the UK.

Our intricate knowledge of the ISO certification industry enables us to match practically any business with the certification company that will give them the best value for money. We've matched countless clients with UKAS-accredited bodies over the years, and some of them have saved thousands of pounds as a result of our advice.

Own an ISO-certified business in Southampton? Challenge us today!

If you'd like us to find a more cost-effective certification solution for your organisation, here's what to do:

1. Send an email to enquiries@nptmanagementsystems.co.uk - include your contact details and we'll get back in touch to discuss your current setup.
   
   
2. We will gather quotes on your behalf from our many UKAS-accredited contacts.
   
   
3. Once we've identified the best deal for your company, we will contact you and share our recommendation. You can then decide whether you want to transfer certification bodies.

Will this cost me anything?

No - we offer this quote-finding service free of charge, what have you got to lose? Get in touch now and join the other businesses already saving on their ISO 9001 certification costs!