ISO certification provides a rubber stamp for the credibility of your company that can be carried over into your dealings with a wide variety of potential clients and partners. Achieving a certification affirms your company’s commitment to accomplishing its objectives through the implementation of a rigorous set of standards that ensure consistency and quality.
Though the process may seem intimidating, this guide will take you through the process of achieving the goal of ISO Certification in the UAE.
Decide on a Standard
Choosing a standard that fits your organization’s needs is important, take a look at the other companies and professionals in your industry. Or talk to partners you’ve engaged with across the supply chain, to see which standards they’ve opted for and to understand how they’d apply to your own business.
Some of the more in demand ISO certifications in the UAE are:
- ISO 9001, focused on the auditing of quality management systems
- ISO 22000, audits the safety of production processes against biological, chemical and physical hazards.
- ISO 27001, centers on information management systems and their data security.
Select an Appropriate Certification Body
Choosing the right certification body to fulfill your accreditation requirements can be a daunting prospect. A few key factors must be taken into consideration,
- The certification body must have a strong reputation in the field to ensure that you are being held to an appropriately high set of criterion for the achievement of your certification. This will also allow you to better market your ISO.
- The certification body must possess appropriate qualifications, provide all necessary training and carry out adequate staff monitoring.
- The certification body should have expertise in your field of operations, for example, if you are a chemical processing factory an auditor with expertise in Information Technology may not have the relevant know-how in order to be able to accurately assess your working standards.
- Make sure to hire a certification body that has appropriate experience, ask questions and confirm that the auditor assigned to your company has knowledge that would benefit your company and its processes.
- Also make sure that the certification body is accredited by high authorities (Eg: – DAC, Dubai Municipality or any other).
- It is in your best interest to hire a certification body that is well recognized for providing ISO Certification in UAE.
The Process
- The certification body will submit a proposal, informing you of the time and cost requirements involved in an assessment.
- The ISO certification body will assign an assessment team to your company led by a client manager. The manager will meet with you, and be present with you from your application to your certification. They will be committed to understanding the needs of your organization and to helping you achieve ISO Certification in UAE
- The certification body will provide any help for your employees and management to achieve the certification in required standard, through focused training, seminars and workshops as needed.
- An option pre-assessment may be recommended or opted for by your company. This identifies existing weaknesses and necessary areas for improvement, with your auditor helping you to understand any areas of non-conformance.
- An assessment or main audit will then be carried out to check if the company’s processes and procedures are in compliance with the applicable standards and documents generated. This assessment may comprise of two stages.
- Once you passed the two stage audits successfully, then the certification body will issue a certificate of registration, providing clear details on the scope of your registration.
- The client manager will carry out ongoing surveillance in order to help you maintain your standards, and support a process of continual improvement.
Finally
With the aid of an appropriate certification body, you can be consistent enough to achieve and maintain an ISO certification in the UAE. The independent verification and skills a body provides to your company will provide your clients and stakeholders with an assurance your company is committed to providing a high quality of service.
