Why take an ISO 9001 financial training course?

An ISO 9001 training qualification could potentially be an essential requirement for those hoping to become an auditor.

The qualification provides an individual with proof that they have sufficient enough knowledge of the ISO 9001 standards to be able to judge whether an organisation has met them.

For those who are unfamiliar with the standards, this might seem like a tiny part of an auditor's job. Whilst it is true that there are plenty more standards that auditors are likely to need to have a full understanding of, this doesn't diminish the importance of them passing ISO 9001 training courses.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO9001 is a set of standards, defined by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), used to determine the merit of a quality management system (QMS). It's important for businesses to have a QMS that meets certain standards otherwise the results shown by it will be worth very little to potential customers. Customers like to see proof that a business is using efficient day-to-day processes and IS09001 certification is the best way of proving this.

Most standards set by the ISO are accepted by businesses across the world as the only set of quality standards worth meeting, and this is no different for ISO9001.

This is because the ISO is made up of representatives from 159 countries who all work together to develop standards that are suitable across the globe. According to the ISO website, the standards "ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability -- and at an economical cost".

Businesses across all of these countries are aiming for their QMS to meet or exceed these standards. That's why it's basically compulsory for auditors to have a great working knowledge of ISO9001 in order to be able to judge a QMS. If a business meets these standards, they are said to have gained ISO 9001 accreditation.

How does a business become ISO 9001 accredited?

The first step to becoming ISO 9001 accredited is to ensure that a QMS meets the standard set in ISO9001 documentation. Once those in charge of the QMS are satisfied that this is the case, they have to apply to a third party, such as the British Assessment Bureau, to be assessed. The assessment will be completed by individuals who have passed ISO 9001 training courses. Without passing these courses, it would be impossible to prove you have the knowledge to complete such an assessment.

It's not compulsory for a QMS to be ISO9001 accredited, but there are plenty of advantages to being so. It is believed that ISO9001 accreditation gives organisations greater success with tenders and an improved chance of achieved preferred contractor status. After all, if you had a choice between an organisation with an industry-approved method of measuring the quality of its processes and one that didn't have this, what would you choose? There are plenty of companies who insist on using an ISO9001 accredited supplier.

In short, ISO9001 accredited businesses have a competitive advantage over their unaccredited rivals. That's why thousands of businesses are so keen to gain this certification - and why it's so important for auditors to be qualified to issue it.

About the author: 

Batalas (www.batalas.co.uk) has over 50 years experience in lead and internal auditor training with over 300,000 people having attended our training courses.