Level of difficulty for ISO 9001 certification process tasks
| Level of difficulty | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO certification process stage | Very easy 1 | Easy 2 | Neutral 3 | Difficult 4 | Very difficult 5 | Total responses | Mean score | Rank |
| Task 1 - Developing the quality management system | 4% | 36% | 32% | 21% | 7% | 2.92 | 1 | |
| Establish, objectives for ISO 9001 QMS Implementation | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 2.84 | 2 |
| Understand ISO 9001 Requirements | 2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2.68 | 10 |
| Determine gaps against the requirements | 1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2.74 | 8 |
| Establish roles and responsibilities for the success of the QMS | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 2.79 | 6 |
| Develop and implement the quality management system | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 3.53 | 1 |
| Task 2- Stage 1 audit readiness (Certifying body) | 0% | 53% | 26% | 18% | 3% | 2.71 | 3 | |
| Preparedness for evaluation of QMS documentation conformance by the certifying body | 0 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2.84 | 2 |
| Completing corrective actions for Stage 1 Audit | 0 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 2.58 | 11 |
| Task 3- Stage 2 audit readiness: pre-certification | 16% | 24% | 11% | 8% | 0% | 2.58 | 4 | |
| Implementation and conformance to QMS documentation and ISO standard | 2 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 19 | 2.79 | 6 |
| Completing corrective actions for Stage 2 Audit | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2.37 | 19 |
| Task 4- Surveillance audits- post certification | 18% | 19% | 26% | 15% | 0% | 2.49 | 5 | |
| Maintain QMS after Certification | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2.42 | 18 |
| Continued QMS improvement and adherence to requirements of the QMS | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2.58 | 11 |
| Completing corrective actions to surveillance audit | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2.47 | 15 |
| Task 5- Re-certification audits | 11% | 21% | 32% | 26% | 0% | 2.82 | 2 | |
| Continued fulfilment of the requirements of the certification | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 2.82 | 4 |
| Task 6- Quality management system continual improvement | 9% | 7% | 11% | 7% | 0% | 2.47 | 6 | |
| Continued monitoring and improvement of the quality management system | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2.47 | 15 |
| Level of difficulty | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO certification process stage | Very easy 1 | Easy 2 | Neutral 3 | Difficult 4 | Very difficult 5 | Total responses | Mean score | Rank |
| 4% | 36% | 32% | 21% | 7% | ||||
| Establish, objectives for ISO 9001 QMS Implementation | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 2.84 | 2 |
| Understand ISO 9001 Requirements | 2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2.68 | 10 |
| Determine gaps against the requirements | 1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2.74 | 8 |
| Establish roles and responsibilities for the success of the QMS | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 2.79 | 6 |
| Develop and implement the quality management system | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 3.53 | 1 |
| 0% | 53% | 26% | 18% | 3% | ||||
| Preparedness for evaluation of QMS documentation conformance by the certifying body | 0 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2.84 | 2 |
| Completing corrective actions for Stage 1 Audit | 0 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 2.58 | 11 |
| 16% | 24% | 11% | 8% | 0% | ||||
| Implementation and conformance to QMS documentation and ISO standard | 2 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 19 | 2.79 | 6 |
| Completing corrective actions for Stage 2 Audit | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2.37 | 19 |
| 18% | 19% | 26% | 15% | 0% | ||||
| Maintain QMS after Certification | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2.42 | 18 |
| Continued QMS improvement and adherence to requirements of the QMS | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2.58 | 11 |
| Completing corrective actions to surveillance audit | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2.47 | 15 |
| 11% | 21% | 32% | 26% | 0% | ||||
| Continued fulfilment of the requirements of the certification | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 2.82 | 4 |
| 9% | 7% | 11% | 7% | 0% | ||||
| Continued monitoring and improvement of the quality management system | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2.47 | 15 |
Note(s): Mean scores of the process Tasks using the 5-licker scale
Source(s): Author's own work