How a Gap Analysis Ensures Quality Assurance Certification?

When you are all set to start working on the certification process required for ISO 9001 certification, you must educate yourself about gap analysis. It plays a vital role in gaining certification. Go through this article to learn how a gap analysis can help you ensure the certification.

What is gap analysis? What ISO 9001 Standard has to do with it? Gap analysis is a method of finding what is missing from the existing management system and which actions are needed to fill the identified “gaps” or “loopholes” within the systems. ISO consultants have defined a gap analysis in a number of ways. Let’s have a look at some of the vital definitions of gap analysis:

• “It’s an assessment that identifies the gaps between what you have and what is needed”

• “It’s a report that identifies what you have to do”

The main aim of a gaps analysis is to compare where you are standing now with where you wanted to be. This useful tool determines what the existing management system misses. Apart from this, a gap analysis lists the required actions for closing the detected gaps.

Hopefully, you have got the first Answer-What is a gap analysis! Now, let me help you find out the second answer- how gap analysis is associated with Quality Assurance Certification. In the next section, I am going to discuss how a gap analysis escalates your chances of getting certified to ISO 9001 standard.

As it has been stated above, a gap analysis is a process of comparing what your organization is currently doing with what you were expecting. The way ISO 14001 requires implementation of an Environmental Management System; ISO 20000 certification requires implementation of Information Service Management System, ISO 9001 requires implementation of an ideal Quality Management System or QMS. Through a gap analysis, you can determine whether your QMS is performing as per the plan or not.

A gap analysis does not require the auditors to go around for determining the performance of the QMS. However, this analysis needs paperwork where an expert tries to find out which ISO 9001 requirements have been met and which are yet to be done.

Gap analysis enables an organization to manage the time, money, and resources needed for the implementation of your QMS as per the ISO 9001:2015 requirements. This tool is beneficial especially when you have limited time due to the requirements coming from the end of the customers. However, if your timeline is self-imposed, then you must set a reasonable goal that can be practically implemented within the imposed timeline.

• Select a gap analysis tool suitable for ISO 9001:2015. You may hire quality assurance consultants for performing a thorough analysis. Your consultants must have knowledge in each of your quality operations.

• First, the fulfilled requirements should be listed. For instance, the clause 7.2.1 (a requirement for determining the people essential for the QMS and the process control) is properly addressed by your organization. Then, it should be included in a list of “done requirements”

• Once you have made the list of “done requirements”, you will be able to understand which requirements are left. The left requirements are the gaps that you need to fill immediately for ensuring the Quality Assurance Certification.

No! It is not possible. Though gap analysis is not a mandatory requirement of ISO 9001:2015 standard, the chances of gaining the certification are lesser without a gap analysis. Without a gap analysis, you would not be able to explore the “gaps”. Therefore, the gaps would exist within your system even during the final audit. These gaps imply nonconformity with the ISO standard. The auditors, obviously, will reject an organization having nonconformity.

No matter what your timeline is, taking ample time for successful implementation of the QMS is a wise decision. If you employ a shortcut process, it may hurt the entire process in the long run. Always remember that the QMS will provide you with long-term benefits. Hence, you must ensure its efficiency. What can be a better way of looking at the loopholes existing in your system other than gap analysis?

If you don’t want to take a risk on your ISO 9001 certification, you must perform the gap analysis in the best possible way. Avoid shortcuts and walk through the way straight to the certification. It may take time but it will never end up with a mess.

Damon Anderson is a professional ISO consultant having a keen interest in ISO Quality Assurance certification, ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification, and ISO 20000 certification. His passion for ISO has made him pen down informative articles and blogs.

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