Our process is simple and painless — we've removed the complications so you can move forward with assessing and certifying your organization's management system.
In simple terms, here's what's involved from first decision to finished certificate.
Decide which ISO standard(s) you want to achieve certification for — see our certifications overview if you're comparing options.
Find out exactly what the standard involves you doing.
Establish a system for meeting those requirements consistently.
Bring in an ISO certification body — we'd love for that to be PGCS — to audit and assess your work.
Awarded once the audit is successful, or after any non-conformances found during the audit are corrected.
Use your certificate to help win new business and strengthen your tenders.
Not sure where to start? If that all sounds a bit daunting, we're happy to talk it through — call us on +92 55 4555545 and we'll help you find the right path, including a local consultant if you need one.
Get In Touch Browse CertificationsOnce your systems and procedures are in place and you're ready for an audit, there's normally an initial two-stage audit. If successful, you're awarded certification valid for three years. To maintain it, we'll visit you regularly — usually once a year — for what's known as a surveillance visit. Like the initial audit, dates are always agreed and planned in advance; there are no surprise visits.
Establishes that you understand the standard's requirements and have systems and procedures in place to comply with it. We review your relevant documentation and leave you with a report and a schedule for Stage 2 — including any actions to take before then. It's also a chance to get to know your auditor before the more detailed stage.
Gathers objective evidence that you're complying with the standard — interviewing your staff, reviewing records and completed internal audits, and visiting other sites where relevant. By the end, you'll know whether you've been recommended for certification, or what actions are needed before a certificate can be issued.
If any requirements aren't adequately met, we'll discuss it with you. Depending on severity, issues may be resolved on the day, or corrected before certification is recommended.
These check that you're continuing to operate to your management system. You'll be expected to correct any non-compliances found, though these rarely affect your certification's continuance.
Unhappy with your current certification body — the service, the fees, or the value you're getting from your audits? You can transfer your registration to PGCS. Once transferred, we take over your future surveillance visits; there's a charge for this, but our fees are competitive, and we won't contact your current certification body on your behalf. Even after a quotation, there's no obligation to move — and if you do, we'll make the transfer as effortless as possible, with an auditor who's realistic, supportive, and genuinely knowledgeable about your sector.
New to certification? Here's how the terms fit together, using ISO 9001 as an example.
ISO 9001 is an international standard for quality. It lists requirements — what you need to do. Following them calls for some kind of system to check that you do, known as a management system.
Customers will often want proof that your management system is effective — the best way to demonstrate that is an external audit by a third party, which is where PGCS comes in.
After a successful audit, you're awarded an ISO 9001 certificate, and can rightly claim ISO 9001 registration or certification. Organizations sometimes say they've got "ISO 9001 accreditation" — but strictly, it's the certification body auditing them that holds the accreditation. To be precise, what you've achieved is accredited certification to ISO 9001.
A few genuine, external resources worth knowing about if you're new to certification, registration, or accreditation.
The International Organization for Standardization, which develops and publishes the standards we certify against.
www.iso.orgFree guides from ISO to help you understand and choose the right management and leadership standards.
iso.org/storeA useful library for a quick look at what a standard contains before you purchase the full copyrighted text.
www.praxiom.comInternational standards are revised periodically to stay current. When ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are updated, PGCS clients are contacted directly — we send a short questionnaire, then agree the most appropriate way to audit the changes, often as part of your normal surveillance visit at no extra cost (larger organizations may need additional time, which we'll always flag in advance). Broadly, revisions of this kind have included:
A new high-level clause structure (Annex SL) shared across management system standards
New clauses on understanding the context of the organization
Expanded requirements for quality objectives
Management responsibility broadened to include leadership
Removal of the formal Management Representative requirement
More detailed requirements for the process approach to quality
No dedicated Preventive Action clause
A new requirement to consider risks and opportunities
Reduced documentation requirements overall
Extended control over externally purchased products and services
Inclusion of care for property belonging to others
Expanded requirements for monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation
Whether you're starting fresh or transferring an existing certification, we're happy to walk through it with you.