IT companies of all sizes can benefit hugely from implementing a quality management system and securing ISO 9001 certification.

Not only does ISO certification look great to prospective clients, it will also help you and your company to...

• Streamline your processes. A well-designed quality management system (QMS) ensures that all members of an organisation are working efficiently and staying focused on the final outcome. This is good news for both you and your customers!
  
  
• Reduce waste. Time and resources often go to waste when people work inefficiently or don't know what they're doing, and that's as true in the IT sector as it is anywhere else. An ISO-compliant QMS will minimise waste within your organisation, helping you to deliver better results more quickly.
  
  
• Take on new work. ISO certification is actually a requirement for some contracts, and once you've achieved ISO 9001 certification, you may find that you're able to take on a number of opportunities that were previously off-limits.

How we can help you to gain ISO certification

Here at ISO Accelerator, we help small- to medium-sized businesses to achieve ISO 9001 certification within the shortest possible timeframe.

We have worked with a number of digital / IT services in the past, so if you are interested in securing ISO certification for your company, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

READ MORE: How does fast-track ISO certification work?

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Introduction

The roots of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) can be traced all the way back to World War II, when demand for better safety standards arose within the factories that were developing explosive devices. The ISO 9000, or BS 5750 series of standards as it was once known, was introduced in 1979, meaning businesses had to comply with strict production procedures. The requirements of the standard were primarily based around those of the MoD.

The ISO 9001 standard, built on these original guidelines, was formally introduced in 1987 as many companies became increasingly frustrated with the original BS 5750 guidelines. This is because the original guidelines were specifically geared towards manufacturing businesses, meaning they were a poor fit for other types of companies and industry sectors.

ISO 9001 was then created to address these issues and offer a universal framework for quality management that all businesses and industries could adhere to. The ISO 9001 was designed to be product and industry-friendly, and the ever-evolving nature of the business world meant that there was a need for further updates and revisions.

1994

The first of these revisions came in 1994, where the ISO's intention was to move the focus of the original standard to quality management systems (QMS) that monitored and checked products at every stage involved in creating them instead of only checking them at the finished stage. This change focused on quality assurance using anticipatory actions, rather than correcting any created issues. QMS, in essence, moved from a 'cure' to 'prevention' state.

2000

In 2000, ISO 9001 was once again changed. The purpose this time was to simplify the processes and documentation involved so that companies would be less burdened with quality control procedures if they didn't actually produce new products. Another aim of this revision was to increase the involvement of upper management in order to integrate quality control throughout the entirety of the business, connecting all levels of company hierarchy. The final goal of this update was to increase effectiveness through the use of process performance metrics, where continual process improvement and the monitoring of customer satisfaction became paramount.

2008

The changes to ISO 9001 that arrived in 2008 were minor in comparison to previous changes. In this part of ISO 9001's history, clarifications were made to the existing standard to enhance its consistency with other ISO standards (e.g. ISO 14001) without introducing new requirements.

2015

The next change came in 2015 after it was decided that a new QMS model was needed for the next decade. As a result of this, work began on creating a new version of ISO 9001, starting with updated quality management principles. Changes focused not on the scope of the standard but rather on its core terms, to allow greater integration with other international management systems. This update also made the standard less prescriptive than previous versions, focusing much more on performance.

This was accomplished by incorporating a process approach with risk-based thinking. Communication was now key, and with the need for a quality representative eliminated, there was much more emphasis placed on everyone within the business having an influence in the development and maintenance of the QMS.

2026

The current version of ISO 9001, known as ISO 9001:2026, was published in September 2026. Here is how ISO's own press release described the new edition upon its release:

"The new edition introduces targeted updates to improve clarity, usability and relevance while building on the familiar framework organisations already use. It places greater emphasis on leadership, a culture of quality and ethical behaviour, while providing greater clarity on the consideration of risks and opportunities to support better strategic decision-making. A new section also helps users better understand the intent of the requirements and apply them consistently."

ISO 9001:2026 is designed to meet the needs of a fast-changing world that requires businesses to adapt to new challenges rapidly. Sustainability, resilience and future-readiness are key priorities.

If you would like further information on ISO 9001 then please do not hesitate to contact us today. To get certified, please click below.

ISO Certification >

Last updated 17th September 2026.

Many companies who apply for ISO 9001 certification do so because they believe it will ultimately result in more business for them. ISO 9001 accreditation is a mark of quality, and if a potential customer sees that your organisation is ISO 9001 certified, that may very well make them more likely to choose you over your competitors.

But is ISO 9001 certification still worth pursuing in 2018? We live in a hyperconnected world these days, and with so many different marketing avenues - including social networking, search engine advertising, online video, and more - now available to businesses of all sizes, it's easy to assume that ISO certification isn't worth the effort. Getting certified requires a certain amount of time and resources - wouldn't it be better to funnel those resources into other channels?

Well...yes, we think so! And here are three reasons why:

Why ISO 9001 certification is still worthwhile

• It opens new doors. Many industries and organisations only work with ISO-certified suppliers. Achieving ISO 9001 accreditation could enable your company to take on all sorts of lucrative contracts that would otherwise be off limits.
  
  
• It makes you work more efficiently. In order to get certified, you will need to implement a quality management system (QMS) that effectively minimises waste within your organisation and ensures that everyone is working towards total customer satisfaction and the continued improvement of the company.
  
  
• It's still a trusted mark of quality. ISO 9001 certification is still a widely-recognised symbol of quality and commitment to customer satisfaction. Implementing an effective QMS and getting certified will set you apart from other businesses in your industry - and in this day and age, when Google can show consumers dozens of different providers at the click of a mouse, it's important to stand out in any way you can.

Get certified quickly and simply

The good news is that applying for ISO 9001 certification doesn't need to be the time-consuming, labour-intensive process it was in the past. Here at ISO Accelerator, we specialise in rapid ISO 9001 certification for businesses in the UK, the USA, and the rest of the world.

Certification is available from £695, and the certification process typically takes just 7 days. Find out more here, or fill out our application form to get the ball rolling.

This article was written and published in 2018. Since then, a new edition of the ISO 9001 standard has been published. It's called ISO 9001:2026 and you can read all about it here.

The ISO 9001 standard has been with us for decades, but the requirements for certification haven't remained static since they were first formalised in the 1980s. They are continuously revised and updated, and every so often, a new ISO 9001 version will be rolled out; when this happens, certified companies are given a set amount of time to transition to the new version.

ISO 9001:2015

The current version of ISO 9001 is known as ISO 9001:2015. It was introduced in September 2015, from which point companies certified under the previous version (ISO 9001:2008) had three years to transition.

See ISO 9001:2008 vs ISO 9001:2015 if you're curious about the differences between ISO 9001:2015 and the standard it replaced.

Is there another ISO 9001 revision on its way?

According to www.iso.org, "all ISO standards are reviewed every five years to establish if a revision is required".

However, this doesn't mean that we always get another ISO 9001 revision precisely five years after the previous one. Eight years passed between the introduction of ISO 9001:2000 (the first update of the new millennium) and ISO 9001:2008, and it was another seven years before ISO 9001:2015 rolled out.

For the moment, ISO 9001:2015 is the current version of ISO 9001 and the certification that your organisation needs.

If you would like to implement an ISO-compliant QMS (Quality Management System) and achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification, ISO Accelerator can help you to do this quickly.

US companies can achieve ISO 9001 certification quickly with ISO Accelerator!

Here at ISO Accelerator, we provide fast-track ISO certification for small/medium-sized businesses who don't have time for site visits and quality consultation sessions. We are based in the UK, but we are pleased to say that we can also offer this service to companies in the United States of America!

Getting certified with ISO Accelerator

We are accredited by USAS, a world-recognised body that's based in the city of Melbourne, FL (see map above). Our USAS-accredited status allows us to provide an online certification process for organisations with 25 employees or fewer.

Whether you're based in the UK or the USA, here's what to do if you want to get certified:

• Get in touch via our application form.
• Work with us to develop a QMS (Quality Management System) that complies with ISO 9001 requirements.
• Complete a Self-Declaration of Conformance to verify that you have implemented your QMS properly.
• After we receive your Self-Declaration, we will issue an ISO 9001 certificate that's valid for 3 years

More Information: How Does ISO Accelerator Work?