A quality manual is a document that outlines an organisation's quality management system (QMS).

In the past, a company seeking ISO 9001 certification would typically keep a big folder - sometimes several big folders - full of important documents related to their QMS. This unwieldy stack of forms, procedures, policies and so forth was sometimes referred to as a 'quality manual'.

But a quality manual doesn't have to include all of those things. In fact, a quality manual can just be a single document that sets out the intent for your quality management system and how it will operate.

SEE ALSO: What is a quality manual?

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Once you have obtained ISO 9001 certification through ISO Accelerator, you will need to renew your certification once a year. This involves paying an annual recertification fee and passing a surveillance audit to prove that you are maintaining your quality management system (QMS).

If you're wondering what to expect from this annual ISO recertification audit, read on...

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If you're unfamiliar with the ISO 9000 family of standards, some of the terminology associated with ISO 9001 may seem a little confusing at first. Perhaps you're aware that ISO 9001 is some kind of management tool, but you're not quite clear on the details. You've seen the phrase 'quality management system' come up frequently in articles on this topic - so is ISO 9001 a quality management system?

We can answer that question right now: no, ISO 9001 is not a quality management system. Rather, ISO 9001 is the global standard for quality management systems (often abbreviated to QMS). The concepts are closely linked, but the terms 'ISO 9001' and 'QMS' should not be used interchangeably.

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It is a popular misconception that businesses must document absolutely everything they do in order to obtain ISO 9001 certification. Yes, there is a fair bit of documentation involved, but there's no reason to fear that your office will be buried under tonnes and tonnes of paperwork.

In fact, one of the objectives of ISO 9001:2015 - the most recent version of the ISO 9001 standard for quality management systems - was to streamline the amount and detail of documentation required.

Documents required for ISO 9001 certification

There are two sets of documents required for ISO 9001 certification.

The following mandatory documents are needed to obtain ISO 9001 certification and must be updated continuously:

• Scope of the quality management system (QMS)
• Quality policy
• Quality objectives

Additionally, the following records must be retained in order to prove that your QMS meets ISO 9001 requirements:

• Monitoring and measuring resources
• Records of staff training, qualifications, experience, etc.
• Product / service requirement review records
• Records of design and development inputs, controls, outputs and changes
• Characteristics of the product / service to be provided
• Customer property records
• Product / service provision change control records
• Product / service release
• Record of nonconforming outputs
• Monitoring and measurement results
• Results of internal audit
• Resilts of management review
• Results of corrective actions
• Criteria for evaluation and selection of suppliers

Different documents may be required if you are looking to achieve ISO 14001 or ISO 27001 certification. Contact ISO Accelerator for more information on these standards.

If you want to achieve ISO certification as quickly as possible, ISO Accelerator can help. Our online certification service eliminates the need for site visits and face-to-face consultations, helping you to save time and cut costs.

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A quality manual is a document that describes the intent of an organisation's quality management system and how it operates.

There is a certain amount of debate surrounding quality manuals, what exactly they are, and whether a quality manual is required for ISO 9001 certification.

Many people confuse the term 'quality manual' with a quality management system (QMS). This is understandable, because in the past...

• The ISO 9001 standard talked about a quality manual
  
  
• Companies would often keep a large folder containing master copies of their quality procedures, policies, forms, etc. This was sometimes known as the 'quality manual'.

Today, some in the certification industry see quality manuals as unnecessary.

Does ISO 9001 require a quality manual?

The answer to this question varies on a case-to-case basis. If you are interested in obtaining ISO 9001 certification, whether or not you need a quality manual depends on the format and structure of your QMS.

Here at ISO Accelerator, we regularly help businesses to implement effective quality management systems. As part of each QMS, we do also provide clients with a digital quality manual.

However, this quality manual does not itself contain copies of quality procedures, policies, forms, and so on - instead, these are supplied as part of the complete quality management system. The quality manual is simply a document that describes the intent of the QMS and how it operates.

Developing a quality management system

ISO Accelerator offers a comprehensive ISO 9001 certification service. We will work with you remotely, helping you to develop a quality management system and put it into practice.

Once your QMS has been properly implemented, a remote audit will be conducted to confirm that you are meeting the requirements of your quality management system. You will then be awarded your ISO 9001 certificate.

As a bonus, you will be able to send clients and customers a digital copy of your quality manual to reassure them that you have processes in place to ensure a quality service.

How to Get Certified with ISO Accelerator >

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