Q: What does "ISO 9001:2000 Certified mean"?
A: “ISO 9001:2000 Certified” means that the company has been issued a certificate of conformance to that international standard, regarding the structure, content and implementation of its quality management system.

Q: How long will it take to get ISO 9000 certified?
A: The amount of time it takes to gain successful registration will vary with each organization as no two businesses are the same. Think of it as a time frame to accumulate your population of audit evidence. During the course of the audit, the audit team will be “sampling” from your evidence population. The larger the population the higher the chance that the sample chosen in the audit for review will indicate conformance. Two to three months of working records is sufficient evidence for most companies. If your audit goes well, it usually takes about 6 weeks for the registration body to process the documentation and issue the certificate. Click here to view our Process to Certification flyer.

Q:How much will it cost to become certified?
A: The cost of the certification will depend on how big and how complex your organization is, and to which registration standard you are seeking. MCNA is pleased to offer you a no obligation quote for our services. Click here to download our Request a Quote form.

Q: When will ISO 9001:2000 expire?
A: The publication date of ISO 9001:2008 was 14 November 2008. Twelve months after publication of ISO 9001:2008, all accredited certifications issued (new certifications or reassessments) must be to ISO 9001:2008. Twenty-four months after publication by ISO of ISO 9001:2008, all certification must be to the ISO 9001:2008 standard. Any existing certification issued to ISO 9001:2000 will not be valid.

Q: Are there any new requirements in ISO 9001:2008?
A: No. ISO 9001:2008 introduces no new requirements and only introduces clarifications to the existing requirements of ISO 9001:2000. If you and your registrar have been interpreting the 2000 standard requirements in accordance with the intent of the standard authors, then there is no real change to the requirements. It also introduces changes intended to improve consistency with ISO 14001:2004.

Q: How do we upgrade to the 2008 Standard?
A: We use the term “transition” instead of “upgrade” because there are really no additional requirements. Transition may occur at a regularly scheduled surveillance audit or at a recertification audit to the new version.

Q: Will more time be added to our audits in the 2008 standard transition process?
A: Additional time will not be required in most cases. A regular surveillance audit with a check of “differences” in documentation and/or implementation can normally be worked into the surveillance audit plan without the need for more audit time.

Q: Will we need to develop additional procedures?
A: The nature of the clarifications will not require you to create new documented procedures; however, the revision may warrant a review of existing procedures and practices against the changes to assure that what you have been doing meets the requirements as clarified.

Q: I had a non-conformance at my recent audit. My auditor did not accept my Corrective Action Response. Why not?
A: We at MCNA are focusing on helping clients understand the value of an effective investigation process to identify the true root cause(s) for a non-conformance. Effective corrective action will not happen unless the actions taken eliminate the cause of the non-conformance. Click here to watch the a presentation for a very simplistic illustration of the concept of identifying and addressing root cause(s) in corrective action.

Q: I have a few more questions before starting the process of certification. Can MCNA help me?
A: Please feel free to call or email the MCNA office with any questions that you may have.

Q: I have a few more questions before starting the process of certification. Can MCNA help me?
A: The cost of the certification will depend on how big and how complex your organization is, and to which registration standard you are seeking. MCNA is pleased to offer you a no obligation quote for our services. Click here to download our Request a Quote form.