Certification is often required to do business with governments and large corporations.

These organisations are seeking to manage supply chain risks and they are asking you to pay for it! Well-designed and implemented management systems will not only achieve certification but add significant value to your business operations.

In essence certification is independent verification that your management systems conform to standards requirements.

Businesses most commonly seek certification for the following management system standards:

• Quality – ISO 9001:2015
• Environment – ISO 14001:2015
• Safety – ISO 45001:2018
• IT Security – ISO 27001:2013
• Asset management – ISO 55001:2013

Technically speaking, certification is when a JASANZ accredited certification body audits your management system and assesses that it meets the requirements.

To be certified you need to have:

1. A management system that meets the standard’s requirements.

2. Evidence to demonstrate that you are always using the system.

• Critical care
• Automotive manufacturing
• Aviation spare parts
• Design consultancy
• Engineering consultancy
• Medical support services
• Commercial cleaning
• Insurance restoration cleaning
• Secure document destruction
• Landscape architecture
• Government panel placement services
• Workplace drug testing services
• Chemical manufacturing
• Personal consumables manufacturing
• Technical testing services
• Health educators
• Vehicle fit out
• Commercial print management
• Immigration services
• Travel management services
• Resource management software
• Supplier compliance software & services
• Waste management services
• Security solutions and equipment
• IT support services
• Civil construction
• Plumbing construction
• Aged care
• IPTV solutions and product
• Construction and property maintenance
• Event first aid
• IT Infrastructure as a Service
• Payroll software development and services
• Insurance specialist payment gateway providers
• Marketing and broad communications software and service
• Garden construction landscaping and maintenance
• Transport industry metal fabrication and manufacturing
• OHS testing and consulting
• Metal fabrication and construction services
• Precision engineering
• Electrical network design consultancy
• Aged care management software
• Staff and contractor management software and services
• Fashion industry POS technical and product support
• Subscription software and support.
• AML compliance software and information services
• Specialist transport management
• Naval mechanical, fire and refrigeration services fit out and repair
• Insurance software.
• Legal and Contract workflow Software
• Sustainable energy generation, storage & management.

A JASANZ accredited body recommends you for certification after conducting Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits.

The Stage 1 audit focuses on the management system(s) and whether or not it meets the requirements of the standard.

The Stage 2 audit focuses on the evidence that you are using the management system in the business.

You maintain your management system certification using and improving your system as assessed by your certification body during:

• Surveillance audits conducted at least annually.
• Recertification audits conducted every three (3) years.

There are in excess of 100 certification bodies accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ), so there is plenty of choice. Some of the factors to consider are:

• Are they a JASANZ accredited certification body?
• Is their price competitive?
• Are they bureaucratic or do they provide customer service?
• Do their auditors have any real business experience?
• Can they do the audits when you want them done?
• Is the certification logo important to your business?

1. Do I understand what the management standard requires?
2. Do I have the skills to build my own?
3. Do I have the time to build my own?
4. Will I lose business if I wait to get certification?
5. Would the business benefit from an outside perspective on how we do things?

100% of companies that are committed to certification achieve it!

The real question is whether or not your management system(s) will:

• Improve profitability through a capacity to monitor and control the business.
• Give staff confidence to do right things that deliver for customers.
• Fix issues once by using the system to enable the entire business to learn from mistakes.
• Provide analysis to drive business improvement.
• Enable the business to operate and improve the system without ongoing and expensive input.

You essentially have two options to get the assistance that you need:
1. Employ a staff member with the necessary skills.
2. Engage a consultant to work with you to get you up and running.

If you do not wish to employ staff, then you will need to engage a consultant. The key questions to select someone to work with you are:

1. Can they bring fresh perspectives to the business to help us improve?
2. Have they ever managed a business themselves?
3. Do they have broad experience across a range of industries?
4. Will they deliver a unique solution for your business or use a “cookie cutter” system?
5. Will they provide a fixed priced quote without any hidden fees?
6. Can they work to your timetable?