You already have a quality system. Let's make it certifiable.

Most ISO advice was written for a company that isn't yours.

It assumes a document controller, an internal audit team and a budget line for compliance. You have a shop floor, an office manager who also handles purchasing, and a customer waiting on parts.

How certification actually goes

Four stages. Most small shops starting from a reasonable base get through in four to six months, though that depends on your registrar's schedule and how fast your team can move. Anyone promising you a fixed number is guessing.

1. Find the gaps

   A clause-by-clause review of what exists against what the standard requires. You can start this yourself, free, with the gap analysis.

2. Build the system

   Procedures, forms and records written for how your shop runs. Lean enough to maintain, complete enough to pass.

3. Train and run it

   Your people learn the system, you run a full internal audit cycle, and management review happens for real. Registrars want evidence the system has been operating, not just that it exists.

4. Certification audit

   Stage 1 and Stage 2 preparation, mock audit, and support closing any findings the registrar raises.

Other standards

Common questions

How long does certification take?

Four to six months is typical for a small shop with reasonable processes already running. It can take longer if you're starting from nothing, and it depends heavily on your registrar's availability. Registrars need to see a full internal audit cycle and at least one management review before they'll certify, and that sets a floor no consultant can shorten.

Should I wait for ISO 9001:2026?

No. The sixth edition published on 16 September 2026, and it refines the 2015 framework rather than replacing it. The changes sit in familiar places: climate in your context analysis, quality culture and ethical behavior at top management, risks and opportunities separated in clause 6, stronger requirements around planning changes, and a broader treatment of organizational knowledge and the work environment. Certified companies have a transition period to move across. If you're certifying for the first time, build against the new version now — there's no advantage to building against an edition that's already superseded.

What does certification cost, all in?

The registrar's fee is separate from anything I charge and usually runs several thousand dollars for a small shop, covering the Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits plus annual surveillance. Get quotes from two or three accredited registrars early, because their pricing varies more than people expect. If you need help, I can point you at several worth calling.

We're a machine shop working to customer prints. Does all of this apply?

Not all of it. If you don't design product, clause 8.3 on design and development is a legitimate scope exclusion. If your material arrives on consignment and you buy nothing, parts of clause 8.4 may not apply either — though outside processing like heat treat, plating or calibration does count as purchasing, and most shops send something out.

Can I do this without a consultant?

Many shops can, and the course exists for exactly that reason. What people usually underestimate is the internal audit program and the evidence trail, which is where most first-time certification attempts stall. If you'd rather work through it yourself and only call when you're stuck, that's what the consulting blocks are for.

Do you work remotely?

Yes, and most of this work is done remotely regardless of where you are. I'm based in Danville, California, so on-site work is straightforward in the Bay Area and possible elsewhere.