How do HPA achieve ISO certification?

Great question! Achieving ISO certification isn’t overly complicated, but it does take a bit of planning and commitment. Here’s a friendly step-by-step guide to walk you through the process:

1. Choose the right ISO standard

Firstly, you need to determine which ISO standard fits your business needs. A few popular ones:

• ISO 9001 – Quality management
• ISO 14001 – Environmental management
• ISO 27001 – Information security
• ISO 45001 – Occupational health and safety

2. Understand the requirements

Get familiar with the standard’s requirements. You can:

• Buy the official standard from ISO or your national standards body.
• Hire a consultant (optional) to help interpret the technical stuff.
• Attend training sessions or workshops if you want to upskill your team.

3. Gap analysis (optional but helpful)

This is a “health check” to see how you compare to the ISO requirements.

• It helps you spot what's missing or what needs improving.
• You can do this in-house or bring in an external expert.

4. Implement the management system

Here’s where the real work begins:

• Create and update documents and processes based on the standard.
• Train staff so everyone understands the changes.
• Make sure you're consistently following the new systems.

5. Internal audit

Before going for the real thing, do your own audit:

• Check if everything is being done as documented.
• Fix any issues or inconsistencies you spot.
• Shows you're serious about quality and compliance.

6. Management review

Hold a formal review meeting where top management:

• Looks at audit results, performance data, and feedback
• Decides on improvements or changes needed
• Confirms you're ready for certification

7. Certification audit

You’ll bring in a certification body (a third-party organisation) to do the official audit:

• Stage 1 – They check your documentation and readiness
• Stage 2 – They do an in-depth audit of your actual operations

If you pass, congratulations—you’ll get your ISO certificate!

8. Continual improvement and surveillance audits

ISO certification isn’t a “one-and-done” deal:

• You'll have surveillance audits (usually annually) to make sure you're still meeting the standards.
• Every 3 years, you’ll need to recertify.