4 Lesser-known Certifications that are Crucial for Distinct Industries

While ISO 9001 is the supreme and globally accepted certification for quality assurance for every industry, there are certain industries and aspects that it may fail to cover. For instance, if you know about the specific quality requirements of the medical devices sector and the types of quality testing processes and tools required, you will notice that the ISO 9001 regulations simply do not completely cover them. That is why ISO 13485 certification was formed as an independent certification for assuring the quality and reliability of medical supplies/products/devices produced by the manufacturers. Similarly, some sectors rely on Information and Communication Technologies or ICT to deliver their services. These industries need strict regulations in the form of certification to bring consistency to their ICT systems, ensure information security, and to efficiently deliver services.

The specific industrial certifications are either laid down by the International Organization for Standardization or ISO or by other international agencies that have a clear hold on the industry. Here are some of the independent certifications that have been purposely formulated for a sector or business and to cover some exceptional aspects.

CMMC Certification

The Cyber Security Mature Model Certification or CMMC certification ensures cyber-security across the operations of the defense supply chain. The Department of Defense (DoD) contractors are eligible to get this certification which will ensure the implementation of strong cyber-security rules across all operators in their network. Certification is certainly meant to protect the integrity of the information, including the unclassified information (CUI) that is of national interest. Therefore, whenever a DoD contractor gets certified, they commit to introducing practices and consolidating security controls that will be uniformly followed by every agent in the supply chain.

ISO 13485 Certification

This certification formulated by ISO is for medical device manufacturers. It defines the requirements for medical device quality assurance. The standard specifies the conditions and practices for the quality management system (QMS) which is needed for manufacturers to commit to uniform quality testing and validation processes. The ISO 13485 certification also helps manufacturing organizations to demonstrate their ability to supply quality products, consistently maintain quality, and meet with increasing expectations of the customers.

AS9100 Certification

AS9100 is the standard specifically formulated to cover the quality management aspects of the aerospace industry. Aerospace manufacturing includes products, assemblies, or intermediate components produced for use in the aviation, space, and defense industries. The certification can be achieved by any manufacturer that wants to enhance the quality of their products or parts, reduce risks of operational failures, and optimize their costs and resources. Also, AS9100 is primarily based on the ISO 9001 standard for QMS. Therefore, it will also help aerospace manufacturers adhere to the general regulations and practices for quality management that enable them to meet the expectations of their customers.

AS9100 is particularly important for the aerospace manufacturers because customers (aviation companies, space research units, and defense agencies), suppliers of materials, and investors in this essential industry will want to contract with certified manufacturers.

TL 9000 Certification

TL 9000 is the quality management standard for the telecommunication services industry. Getting TL 9000 certification will help telecom service organizations to establish a definite and organized QMS. It will assess and control their ICT systems and operations for efficient development and provision of their services. Thus, with the implementation of a QMS, they can drive consistency in their services, meet the customer requirements, and maintain the quality of the services. Other benefits that are simultaneously achieved by telecom organizations with TL 9000 certification are improvements in operational efficiency, cost reduction, increased client satisfaction, and increased competitiveness.

Many think that ISO 9001 certification and other management certifications, like ISO 14001 for environmental impact control or ISO 27001 for information security, are the only important certifications for businesses that need to prove their reliability and commitment to quality. However, there are several requirements for quality management, safety, and integrity for complex industries that deal with special products and services. The medical device, aerospace, and telecom industries are important examples. So, AS9100, TL 9000, or ISO 13485 certification, are as important as ISO 9001 because of their additional industry-specific quality requirements.