ISO 9001 in Frauenfeld: certified online, without an audit visit

ISO 9001:2015 sets out what a quality management system (QMS) must do so that products and services reliably meet customer and legal requirements. The standard fits a joinery as well as a software house. Your address does not change a single requirement.

It rests on seven principles: customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making and relationship management. In practice, six requirements carry the weight.

Context of the organisation

You describe who your customers are, which legal requirements apply and which internal and external factors affect your work (clause 4).

Quality policy and objectives

Management writes a short policy and sets objectives that can be measured (clauses 5 and 6).

Risks and opportunities

You identify what could disturb your results and decide what to do about it (clause 6).

Controlled processes

Key activities from quote to delivery are defined, with clear responsibilities (clause 8).

Resources and competence

People, equipment and know-how are in place, and training is recorded (clause 7).

Measurement and improvement

You track results, review them and correct what falls short (clauses 9 and 10).

• ISO 9001 in detail
• ISO for small and medium businesses

Frauenfeld is the capital of the canton of Thurgau. Manufacturers, trades and craft businesses, service companies, IT firms, consulting practices and public institutions all work in and around the town. ISO 9001 suits each of them because the standard describes how work is organised, not what is produced.

The push to certify rarely comes from the standard itself. It comes from a customer. These are the situations in which the question usually arises.

Supplier questionnaire

A larger customer sends a form with the line "Do you hold an ISO 9001 certificate?" and a blank field for the number.

Tender

A public or private call for tenders lists a quality management certificate as a selection criterion or awards points for it.

Customer audit

A buyer wants to check your processes on site. A certificate can shorten that conversation or replace parts of it.

Internal order

Quality problems, rework and unclear responsibilities pile up, and management wants a structure that holds.

With the classic route, a certification body sends an auditor to your premises. With Zertify, the assessment happens in your browser. The table shows the practical differences.

• Compare the certification routes
• Certification without an on-site audit

Zertify is an online service. There is no office in Frauenfeld, and there are no local auditors. Everything runs in the browser, and you do not need an account to buy. The certificate is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE (Swiss Institute of Certification and Education). SICE reviews every assessment before the certificate is issued.

The price is CHF 599 in the first year, then CHF 399 per year including the yearly online re-audit. The certificate is valid for 3 years. Billing is an automatic yearly subscription. You can cancel at any time in your customer account, effective at the end of the current year, and the certificate then ends with the paid year. Prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT. If you add a second or third standard, a discount of 20% (2 standards) or 30% (3 or more) applies, also to the yearly fee.

• ISO 9001 at Zertify
• Prices and discounts
• Start the free self-assessment

The assessment reflects the real state of your company. Have your quality policy, objectives and process descriptions at hand before you begin. If a document does not exist yet, the honest answer is no.

1. 01

   Open the self-assessment

   It is free and needs no registration. You can pause and continue later.

2. 02

   Answer 36 yes/no questions

   11 of them are mandatory requirements of the standard, and all 11 must be answered yes. Of the other 25 questions, at least 17 need a yes.

3. 03

   Pay online

   After passing, you choose payment and confirm the yearly subscription.

4. 04

   Receive the certificate

   SICE has reviewed your assessment, and the PDF arrives within 4 hours after passing and payment.

5. 05

   Use and verify it

   Every certificate can be checked publicly by number and QR code.

• How it works in detail

Enter the certificate number in the supplier questionnaire, attach the PDF to your quote or tender documents, and add it to your email signature if you like. A buyer who wants proof scans the QR code on the PDF or enters the number on the public verification page. Nobody has to phone you.

The certificate stays valid because of the yearly online re-audit, a short check that your system is still in place. It is part of the yearly fee, so no separate order is needed.

• What ISO certification costs
• General questions