ISO 9001 in Lugano: certified online, without travel

ISO 9001:2015 is the world's leading standard for quality management systems. It sets out the requirements for a system that helps an organisation consistently deliver products and services that meet customer requirements and regulatory obligations.

The standard rests on seven principles: customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making and relationship management. It does not tell you how your product must look. It asks you to understand your context, define what you promise and check that you keep that promise.

The standard is the same in Lugano as anywhere else. What differs is the route you take to the certificate. That choice decides how much time, travel and coordination you need.

• ISO 9001 at a glance

Lugano is a regional business centre in southern Switzerland with a mixed economy. ISO 9001 is not tied to one sector. It is relevant wherever customers expect consistent quality and traceable processes. These are the typical cases, described in general terms.

Manufacturing companies

Workshops and producers of all sizes that need stable, documented production and delivery processes.

Trades and craft businesses

Firms that work for larger clients or on larger projects and are asked to show how they manage quality.

Service companies

Businesses whose reputation depends on reliable, repeatable service that customers can compare.

IT and software companies

Teams that deliver to business customers who ask for proof of a structured way of working.

Consulting firms

Advisers who want to show clients that their own methods are defined, reviewed and improved.

Public institutions

Organisations that want to document processes and demonstrate consistent service.

• ISO for small and medium businesses

The classic route means an audit by a certification body at your premises. The online route replaces the visit with a structured self-assessment. The table shows how they differ in daily practice.

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

The standard follows the high level structure used by many ISO standards. These six points summarise the key requirements and where they sit in the standard.

1. 01

   Understand your context

   Understand and document the context of your organisation, including interested parties and the scope of your system (clause 4).

2. 02

   Define policy and objectives

   Set a quality policy that leadership supports and measurable quality objectives (clauses 5 and 6).

3. 03

   Assess risks and opportunities

   Identify risks and opportunities systematically and plan how you will deal with them (clause 6).

4. 04

   Ensure resources and competence

   Make sure people, infrastructure and knowledge are in place to run your processes (clause 7).

5. 05

   Define and control processes

   Describe how products and services are planned, delivered and controlled (clause 8).

6. 06

   Monitor and improve

   Measure performance, evaluate results and improve continually (clauses 9 and 10).

Zertify is an online service. It has no office in Lugano, and it does not need one. The assessment, the review and the certificate all happen online, so the process is identical for every company.

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. It is based on your self-assessment, not on an on-site audit, and it is confirmed every year by a short online re-audit.

The price is 599 CHF in the first year, then 399 CHF 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 to the end of the current year in your customer account. If you cancel, the certificate ends with the paid year. Prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT. If you add further standards, a multi-standard discount of 20% for two and 30% for three or more applies, also to the yearly fee.

• ISO 9001 certificate
• Pricing in detail
• Start the free self-assessment

The process is short and you can do it from your desk. Plan some time to answer the questions carefully with the people who know your processes.

1. 01

   Take the self-assessment

   Answer 30 yes/no questions about your quality management. The assessment is free.

2. 02

   Reach the pass threshold

   You pass with 20 of 30 points. The questions also show you where your system still has gaps.

3. 03

   Pay for the certificate

   Pay 599 CHF for the first year. You do not need an account to buy.

4. 04

   Review and issue

   SICE reviews your assessment. The certificate is issued by G6 Agency AG within 4 hours after passing and payment.

5. 05

   Share the proof

   Every certificate can be verified publicly by number and QR code, so customers can check it themselves.

6. 06

   Confirm each year

   A short online re-audit confirms the certificate every year. It is included in the yearly fee of 399 CHF.

• How it works
• Guide on certification cost