Do You Really Need Gap Analysis Along with An ISO Readiness Assessment?

1. Do You Really Need Gap Analysis Along with An ISO Readiness Assessment?

2. Introduction So, you have begun your journey towards ISO certification and came across gap analysis as a critical first step. The first thought that may pop into your mind is it necessary. Performing an initial gap analysis is always a wise decision when you are considering bringing relevant changes to your company or planning to meet specific requirements. However, the question if it’s necessary depends largely depends on the status of your company and the objectives you are aiming to achieve. Continue reading for more in-depth guidance on the necessity of conducting gap analysis for ISO certifications.

3. What Is Gap Analysis? To determine whether your company requires a gap analysis or not, you first need to comprehend what a gap analysis is. In simple words, a gap analysis is a method to assess the current state of a business and find out how far it has deviated from the state the business intends to reach. It involves reviewing existing operations, management practices, processes, procedures, documentation, and other business aspects in relation to its goals. For instance, if your goal is to meet the ISO 9001 requirements, a gap analysis of your current management system will reveal the shortcomings in the system compared to the standard’s requirements. You can conduct a gap analysis against the requirements of one or multiple ISO standards.

4. Should Gap Analysis Be The First Step For Your Business? If you already have a management system in place, it would be a great idea to begin your certification journey with a gap analysis. The outcome of the analysis will tell you more about what your management system needs so you can you meet the ISO standard’s requirements. Also, it will reveal whether if your organization is ready for a certification audit. Without a gap analysis and internal audits, it can be incredibly challenging to meet all ISO regulations, considering the long list of clauses, processes, and documentation requirements of its standards.

5. When You May Not Need A Gap Analysis? If your company is starting from scratch, without any management systems or goal-specific processes in place, your ISO consultant may advise you against conducting a gap analysis. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It simply indicates your company does not have enough in place to compare it against the ISO standard’s requirements. In this case, you can conduct the gap analysis after developing a management system considering the ISO clauses.

6. Bottom Line Gap analysis is an incredible method for obtaining an accurate overview of your business, and it’s a must be done prior to undergoing external audits. It can help you estimate the resources, procedures, and processes you need to meet an ISO standard’s requirements. However, if your organization does not have a proper management system to compare to the ISO standard, you can skip the initial gap analysis.

7. About the Company Compliancehelp Consulting LLC is the premier provider of ISO consulting, training, and analysis services. The team offers bespoke ISO guidance, remote training, gap analysis, internal audit, management system development and implementation, readiness assessment, and documentation services.

8. Contact Us Compliancehelp Consulting, LLC 5686 South Redwood Rd, 84123 Salt Lake City, Utah United States https://www.quality-assurance.com 877-238-5855 info@quality-assurance.com

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