ISO9

There is no specified time frame for normally completing the ISO 9000 certification process. While the standard requires that you have your Quality Management System (QMS) in operation for at least 90 days prior to certification, most organizations take much more time for this process. The most important factor in determining the time frame for completion is the availability of employee resources. In a smaller organization where one person has multiple roles, and a separate quality manager role might not exist, it is quite possible that the process to get certified may take longer than it would for a much larger organization with a separate quality management team.

There is no formula for determining the number of people required to build an effective QMS. Manpower for the certification process can vary greatly, depending on the size of the organization, the workload and the knowledge of ISO. A complete certification process will include many more people than just a core of "quality management people." There are reviewers, approvers and many others within an organization who must get involved in the building of an effective QMS. The important thing to remember is that without buy-in from everyone – most importantly, top management – no amount of manpower will be able to build an effective QMS.