ISO 9001 certification is a third-party confirmation that an organization’s quality management system meets ISO 9001:2015 requirements. A certification body issues the certificate after completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits under a defined audit programme. ISO publishes ISO 9001, but does not certify organizations—certification bodies perform audits and issue certificates under ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements for competence, impartiality, and consistency. Accreditation validates the certification body’s competence through an accreditation body within the IAF MLA recognition ecosystem. Certificate status verification uses IAF CertSearch, the global database for validating accredited management system certifications.
AGS provides accredited ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification services through scheduled audit delivery in Iraq and UAE. Organizations seeking quality management system certification access Stage 1 audits, Stage 2 audits, surveillance audits, and recertification audits delivered by competent audit teams operating under documented impartiality controls.
ISO 9001 certification is a third-party conformity assessment that verifies an organization’s quality management system conforms to ISO 9001:2015 requirements. The certification decision follows successful completion of a two-stage initial audit and results in certificate issuance by an accredited certification body.
ISO 9001:2015 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a quality management system. The standard applies to any organization regardless of type, size, or products and services provided.
ISO 9001 requirements define what a QMS must achieve—not how to achieve it. Requirements use “shall” statements that auditors evaluate during certification audits. The standard addresses organizational context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement across Clauses 4 through 10.
Organizations implement ISO 9001 to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services meeting customer and regulatory requirements, and to enhance customer satisfaction through effective system application, including continual improvement processes.
ISO develops and publishes international standards but explicitly states it does not certify organizations or issue certificates. ISO also restricts the use of the ISO logo in connection with certification activities. Certification bodies (CBs) perform audits and issue certificates. Certification bodies operate under ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements, which define competence, impartiality, and consistency obligations for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. This distinction matters for procurement and compliance contexts: an “ISO 9001 certified” organization holds a certificate issued by a certification body—not by ISO itself.
Accreditation evaluates the certification body’s competence and impartiality against ISO/IEC 17021-1 requirements. An accreditation body (AB) performs this evaluation and grants accreditation to certification bodies meeting the requirements. Certification evaluates the client organization’s quality management system against ISO 9001:2015 requirements. The certification body performs this evaluation and issues the certificate upon positive audit findings and certification decision.
The trust chain operates as:
Understanding this structure clarifies what “accredited ISO 9001 certification” means: the certificate is issued by a certification body that operates under accreditation from an IAF MLA signatory accreditation body.
ISO 9001 belongs to the ISO 9000 family of quality management standards. ISO 9001 is the only standard in the ISO 9000 family that organizations can be certified to. The ISO 9000 family includes:
ISO 9000 and ISO 9004 are guidance documents that support understanding and implementation but are not certifiable standards. Certification audits evaluate conformity specifically to ISO 9001 requirements.
ISO 9001:2015 requirements in Clauses 4–10 align with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. This structure enables systematic QMS implementation and creates predictable audit evidence patterns.
Satisfied Clients
Years of Experience
ISO certifications
ISO quality management standards, including ISO 9001, are based on seven quality management principles. These principles provide the foundation for QMS design and auditor expectations.
These principles appear throughout ISO 9001 requirements and guide auditor evaluation of QMS effectiveness.
ISO 9001 certification follows a structured ISO certification process from QMS implementation through ongoing certification maintenance. The pathway includes implementation activities, two-stage initial audits, and a three-year certification cycle.
The QMS scope statement defines certification boundaries: activities, products, services, and locations covered by the quality management system. Scope definition considers organizational context, interested party requirements, and interfaces with external processes. Process mapping identifies QMS processes, their sequence, interactions, inputs, outputs, and required resources. The process approach required by ISO 9001 treats the organization as a system of interrelated processes rather than isolated functions.
ISO 9001:2015 requires documented information including:
Documented information requirements in ISO 9001:2015 provide flexibility compared to previous versions while maintaining evidence requirements for audit purposes.
Organizations implement processes meeting ISO 9001 requirements and generate records demonstrating conformity. Implementation addresses:
Records provide objective evidence for audit evaluation.
Internal audit is a mandatory ISO 9001 requirement. Organizations conduct first-party audits covering all QMS processes at planned intervals to evaluate conformity and identify improvement opportunities.
Management review evaluates QMS performance, including:
Internal audit and management review records demonstrate the organization operates its own compliance mechanisms.
Stage 1 audit evaluates readiness for Stage 2. The audit team reviews documented information, confirms scope, assesses site conditions, and determines preparedness for the implementation audit. Stage 1 inputs include:
Findings from Stage 1 require resolution before Stage 2 proceeds.
Stage 2 audit evaluates QMS implementation and effectiveness. The audit team collects evidence through interviews, observation, and records review across all processes within certification scope. Audit findings classify conformity status:
Organizations submit corrective action evidence demonstrating root cause analysis and implemented corrections. Nonconformity closure requires verified effectiveness before certification decision.
The certification decision follows audit completion and nonconformity closure verification. A positive decision results in certificate issuance stating organization name, scope, standard, certification body, and validity dates. Certification maintenance requires:
Management system certification uses a structured audit programme and certification cycle spanning three years. The cycle begins with the certification decision and continues through surveillance and recertification.
As an accredited body, we issue certificates for the most sought-after management system standards:
ISO 9001 certification cost follows audit time and scope variables. Certification bodies determine audit duration based on defined factors and apply daily rates to calculate fees.
IAF MD5 provides mandatory provisions and guidance for audit time determination in QMS certifications. Certification bodies use this framework to calculate baseline audit duration and document justifications for any adjustments. The framework applies to initial certification audits, surveillance audits, and recertification audits. Certification scope and audit time determination follows structured methodology rather than arbitrary pricing.
The cost of ISO certification varies depending on organization-specific factors. Request a quotation after defining the certification scope for accurate audit time calculation.
Certificate verification confirms that ISO 9001 certification is valid, issued by an accredited certification body, and within the stated scope. IAF CertSearch provides global validation for accredited management system certifications.
Verification steps:
IAF CertSearch confirms certificates issued by certification bodies accredited under IAF MLA signatory accreditation bodies. This verification supports procurement qualification, tender submissions, and stakeholder due diligence.
ISO restricts use of its name and logo. ISO explicitly states it does not permit use of the ISO logo in connection with certification. Valid ISO 9001 certificates display:
Certificates should not display the ISO logo. Organizations and stakeholders should verify certificate authenticity through certification body confirmation and IAF CertSearch validation.
AGS delivers ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification through a structured audit delivery model. As an independent, third-party certification body, AGS provides:
AGS operates under documented impartiality policy controls and auditor competence model requirements. Organizations seeking ISO certification services in Iraq or ISO certification services in UAE access consistent audit delivery under these governance controls.
