This is a question that many manufacturers and their certification bodies are asking when considering the cost of gaining quality control certification. The answer is no, no ISO9001 certification is cheap. Every ISO9001 certificate will cost a company a good amount of money. Even if a company buys a certificate from a third party, it will still have to pay for that service. So, the only way to have a cheap ISO9001 certification is to not have one at all.
Are there cheaper ISO9001 alternatives?
There are some third-party validation service that allows companies to self-certify their own quality management systems. With the evidence provided by their own documentation, companies can attest to following the certification acquired.
Some of these certifications are branch adapted certification system, for example within the construction sector, where a large ISO9001 certification program is to expensive for smaller construction companies, leading to that only very large and also expensive construction companies will get construction contracts. This results in unfair market competition and higher construction costs.
That's why some construction organizations and unions, have set special certification requirement programs, to make it easier for smaller construction companies, to bid on larger contracts, but still keep a high-quality level.
QCERT is another of these adapted certification programs, aimed for startups and service SMEs, that need a certification as proof of quality work to increase business success, ensure customers, staff, partners, and investors that quality is a high priority as well to be able to participate in procurements for acquiring larger contracts.
The conclusion is, that the costs of a quality certification must be profitable!
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