Experience has shown that some simple tips, often seemingly trivial, have proven invaluable to companies seeking certification. As you set out, keep these in mind:

• Make sure you begin the process with the right attitude.
  
  
• Have a complete understanding of the concept set forth in the standard, and use the standard as a guide template to define your management system.
  
  
• Know what application and implications of the standard will mean to your company.
  
  
• Use the standard as a tool for improvement.
  
  
• Have an understanding of the risks and processes that affect your organization's ability to realize its business strategy.
   
  
• Select your partner (certification body/registrar) carefully.

What steps should I follow?
Below you will find 10 general steps that will take you down the road to certification:

1. Obtain a standard
   Obtain and read a copy of the standard to familiarize yourself with the requirements. Then you should decide if certification/registration makes good sense for your organization.
   
   
2. Review literature and software
   There is a large amount of published information available that is designed to assist you in understanding and implementing a standard.
   
   
3. Assemble a team and define your strategy
   The adoption of a management system needs to be the strategic decision of the whole organization. It is vital that your senior management is involved in the creation process. They decide the business strategy that an efficient management system should support. In addition, you need a dedicated team to develop and implement your management system.
   
   
4. Determine training needs
   Your team members responsible for implementing and maintaining the management system(s) will need to know the full details of the applicable standard(s). There is a wide range of courses, workshops, and seminars available designed to meet these needs. We provide a number of public training courses around the world. Contact DNV Training for more information.
   
   
5. Review consultant options
   Independent consultants will be able to advise you of a workable, realistic, and cost effective strategy plan for implementation.
   
6. Develop a management systems manual
   Your management systems manual should describe the policies and operations of your company. Through the manual, you will provide an accurate description of the organization and the best practice adopted to consistently satisfy customer expectations.
   
7. Develop procedures
   Procedures describe the processes of your organization, and the best practice to achieve success in those processes. These procedures should answer the following questions about each process:
   - why
   - who
   - when
   - where
   - what
   - how
   
   
8. Implement your management system
   Communication and training are key to a successful implementation. During the implementation phase, your organization will be working according to the procedures that were developed to document and demonstrate the effectiveness of the management system.
   
   
9. Consider a pre-assessment
   You can choose to have a preliminary evaluation of the implementation of your management system by a certification body/registrar. The purpose of this is to identify areas of non-conformance and allow you to correct these areas before you begin the accredited certification process. Receiving a non-conformance means that a particular area of your management systems is not compliant with the requirements of the standard.
   
   
10. Select a certification body/registrar
    Your business relationship with the certification body/registrar will be in place for many years, as your certification has to be maintained. In this age of corporate scrutiny, it is also imperative to choose a certification boby/registrar with a reputation beyond reproach. Contact DNV and find out how our decades of experience can benefit you.

When you have implemented your management system, prepared it for certification, and chosen your certification body/registrar, you are ready to begin the accredited certification.