ISO Certification Procedure in Ukraine

Having a QMS (quality management system) certificate indicates that the organization has confirmed the quality and reliability of goods or services at an international level. ISO certification is a strong competitive advantage.
The certification procedure consists of four stages:

Part One - Preparation

An organization intending to initiate certification submits an application to an authorized body and fills out a questionnaire with information about the object of certification.

After the certification body reviews the application (no more than one month) and gives a positive response regarding the procedure, the customer receives a commercial proposal.

The document describes the procedure for conducting an audit for the certification period of three years. The inspection is carried out once a year, with the aim of confirming the quality of the management system.

After the enterprise confirms the commercial proposal, a service order is placed and a contract is signed. After the document is signed by both parties, preparation for the first audit begins.

Part Two - First Audit

The organization receives the procedure for the first inspection from the ISO certification body in Ukraine for review and preparation. Documents from the management system, including the organization's manuals and working procedures, instructions, etc., must be provided to the lead auditor in advance. Some documents may be verified directly at the company.

The purpose of the first inspection is to assess the readiness of the company that initiated the certification for the inspection itself. During the research, the auditor is provided with necessary documents, has the opportunity to communicate with staff as needed and generally observe the enterprise's activities, as well as evaluate internal inspections initiated by the organization's owners.

Upon completion of the audit, a conclusion is issued (which includes the management system documentation). If there are deviations from the standards, time is given to eliminate them (up to six months). If there are no inaccuracies, preparation for the second stage of the audit begins, including scheduling a new date.

If non-conformities are identified, the company must put all necessary documents in order, improve staff qualifications if necessary, and strictly comply with rules and regulations in its activities. Before the inspection date, the manager must instruct the staff and appoint responsible persons who will directly respond to the inspectors.

Part Three - Second Audit

The main purpose of the second inspection is to collect data on how the company eliminated the deficiencies identified during the first inspection.

During the second audit, the following are evaluated and analyzed:

• Legal status, company location, all branches, sites, warehouses (including temporary) and working conditions;
• The organization's own understanding of what ISO certification requirements include;
• How the organization and its processes are managed;
• Compliance of the company's activities with regulatory and legislative requirements, staff competence and responsibility, job descriptions, working methods, as well as conclusions drawn and changes made after internal audits;
• Changes that have occurred in the company's activities, reporting, goals and objectives;
• Changes that have occurred and how the company complied with corrective remarks identified during the first audit.

Upon completion of the audit, the organization (customer) receives the conclusion and findings with remarks or deviations about the second inspection. To eliminate remarks, corrective actions are agreed upon and an additional period of two weeks is given. The results of corrections are verified during the first surveillance audit.

Regarding deviations, the organization's manager must analyze the causes and correct deficiencies within three months. This leads to scheduling an additional inspection.

The certificate is issued upon a positive result of the second audit or upon correction of all deficiencies during the additional audit. If the additional audit has a negative assessment, the certificate is not issued.

Part Four - ISO Certificate

The certificate is issued for three years. If it is necessary to extend the validity period, the company must undergo a re-certification audit before the active certificate expires.

During the certificate validity period (three years), surveillance inspections are conducted annually. If a surveillance audit does not take place, certification bodies may suspend or cancel the obtained certificate. During annual inspections, a selective audit of standards compliance is carried out. If deviations or remarks arise, the inspectors' actions are similar to those in the certification audit process.