ISO 9001 without audit: certified online

ISO 9001:2015 is the world's leading standard for quality management systems. It describes how an organisation consistently delivers products and services that meet customer requirements and regulatory obligations.

"Without audit" has a narrow meaning here: no auditor visits your premises. You do not schedule audit days, prepare a site for inspection or host visitors. The certificate is not issued on a promise, though. It rests on a structured self-assessment that SICE reviews before the certificate is issued, it is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE, anyone can verify it publicly, and it is confirmed every year by a short online re-audit.

For many small businesses this is the practical way to show customers that quality is managed on purpose, without a project that takes over the calendar.

An on-site audit collects information through interviews, documents and a walk through the site. The Zertify self-assessment collects it through 30 yes/no questions that you answer yourself, from your own desk, at a time that suits you.

The path from first question to certificate has four steps.

1. 01

   Answer 30 yes/no questions

   You work through the self-assessment online. It is free to start, and you do not need to register.

2. 02

   Reach 20 of 30

   The pass threshold is 20 out of 30. Reaching it shows that the core of a quality management system is in place.

3. 03

   Pay and receive the certificate

   After you pass and pay, G6 Agency AG issues your ISO 9001 certificate under licence from SICE within 4 hours. You do not need an account to buy.

4. 04

   Share a verifiable result

   Every certificate carries a number and a QR code. Customers and partners can check it publicly.

• See how it works

ISO 9001:2015 is built around a handful of areas that every quality management system has to cover. They follow the high level structure shared by modern ISO standards.

Context (clause 4)

You understand your organisation, its customers and the parties that matter to it, and you document this.

Leadership (clause 5)

Management defines a quality policy and takes responsibility for quality.

Planning (clause 6)

You set measurable quality objectives and assess risks and opportunities systematically.

Support (clause 7)

You provide the resources and competence your people need to do the work well.

Operation (clause 8)

You define and control the processes that deliver your products and services.

Evaluation and improvement (clauses 9 and 10)

You monitor performance and improve continually.

ISO 9001 applies to organisations of any size. The online route suits best where speed, low effort and clear costs matter most. Typical users are manufacturing companies, service companies, trades and craft businesses, IT and software companies, consulting firms and public institutions.

It works well if a customer or partner asks for proof of quality management and you want to answer this week, not next quarter. It also suits small teams where nobody can spare several days for audit preparation.

Check one thing first. If a tender or a customer contract explicitly requires an on-site audit by a certification body, confirm what they need before you choose a route.

• ISO for small and medium businesses

The classic route means an on-site audit by a certification body. The table sets the two routes side by side. Figures for the classic route are indicative ranges only. Real quotes depend on company size, number of sites and the body you choose.

• Compare the certification routes
• Certification cost explained

Zertify is an online platform that issues ISO certificates based on a self-assessment. You start the assessment, pass it with at least 20 of 30 points, and pay. Your ISO 9001 certificate follows within 4 hours, issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE.

The price is 599 CHF (599 EUR) in the first year, then 399 CHF (399 EUR) 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 for customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. If you certify against several standards, a multi-standard discount applies: 20% for 2 standards and 30% for 3 or more, also on the yearly fee.

• ISO 9001 certificate details
• Pricing
• Start the free self-assessment