When certifying business systems to assess their existing compliance with international standards and best practices, the first important step is to undergo a thorough GAP analysis of your current system certification.
During the certification auditing process, a comprehensive gap analysis can tell whether your systems are fully compliant with the standard(s) in question and identify the potential for improvement. We use the quality management standard ISO 9001 as an example.
Bridging the Gap in System Certification
To assess whether your systems and processes are on par with the latest international management standard such as ISO 9001,ISO 14001, ISO 45001 your company can undergo a certification audit to look for potential pitfalls and opportunities to increase systems efficiencies and effectiveness.
For example, a typical exercise is upgrading from OHSAS 18001certification to ISO 45001. In this case, the gap analysis report will be able to suggest management steps to follow to apply to the latest international management standard and guidelines of Occupational Health and Safety.
In a nutshell, management will have a clear idea of what to do next to align with the upgraded requirements. The process is akin to a SWOT analysis that looks firsthand at the company’s strengths and weaknesses in the marketplace before further implementation.
With experienced auditors in more than 65 countries and across all business sectors, DQS South Africa is your one-stop-shop for business solutions. Our holistic approach integrates assessments, audits, certifications, inspections and evaluation in order to guide organizations toward sustainable success. Let’s make it happen!
Gap Analysis vs System Certification Audit
If you are in the process of accredited management system certification, a complete initial assessment of your current management system is necessary following the gap analysis. Corrective actions should come next.
The auditing itself can become a lengthy process, depending on the complexity of your systems. Otherwise, opting for a quick gap analysis for your current management system can prove a time-efficient and cost-effective exercise to identify and report shortfalls.
The final goal should always be to continually improve. Think of gap analysis as preparing the groundwork for a follow-up system certification audit.
DQS South Africa provides a quick, straightforward and detailed gap analysis to ISO 45001:2018 for example, with the same day report on your current system status.
Contact DQS or visit dqs.co.za for more information.
