Resources · Guides and white papers
ISO guides and white papers: the certification journey, standard by standard
In-depth guides from Sterling consultants on the questions every certification programme meets: the process, the cost, the documents, the internal audit and the gap analysis that starts it all.
How to use these guides
Start with the question you have today
Most organisations ask the same five questions on the way to certification, whatever the standard: what the process involves, what it costs, which documents are needed, how to run an internal audit and where they stand now. Each guide answers one of those questions for one standard, in plain English, with the steps set out in the order you will meet them.
The guides are written by expert and experienced consultants and draw on the same method the group has refined since 2003. They explain what the standard requires and what an accredited certification body will look at; the certification decision is always the certification body's, never Sterling's.
Journey guides
The most useful guides across the main standards
Process, cost, documentation, internal audit and gap analysis for ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
- ISO 9001 Certification Process: The 12 Steps ExplainedEvery step from scope to certificate for a quality management system.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Certification Process, Step by StepHow an information security programme moves from scope to a certification audit.
- ISO 14001 Certification Process: 12 Steps From Scope to CertificateThe environmental route, from aspects and obligations to the Stage 2 audit.
- ISO 9001 Certification Cost: What Moves the PriceThe factors that change the budget for consulting, certification and your own time.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Certification Cost: What Moves the PriceScope, sites, controls and audit days: what drives an ISMS budget and what does not.
- ISO 9001 Documentation: What You Need and What You Do NotThe documented information the standard requires, and how to keep it lean.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Documentation: Mandatory Documents and RecordsThe mandatory documents and records, and what you can leave out.
- ISO 9001 Internal Audit: Planning, Conduct and ReportingHow to plan, run and report an internal audit the certification body will respect.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Internal Audit: Planning, Conduct and ReportingAuditing the ISMS and the Annex A controls, with findings that lead to action.
- ISO 45001 Internal Audit: Planning, Conduct and ReportingCovering every site and shift in an occupational health and safety audit programme.
- ISO 9001 Gap Analysis: What It Covers and What You GetWhat a gap analysis examines, what you receive and what happens next.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Gap Analysis: What It Covers and What You GetWhere your security controls stand today and the priorities to close first.
These are twelve of the most useful journey guides. Every standard hub carries its own set, and the full list is in the menu under Resources.
- 60+countries where Sterling has delivered certification
- 21countries with a Sterling office, eight regions, one coordinated team
- 2003the year the group began implementing ISO management systems; the same method, refined, since
- 8,100+client engagements across the group, from single-site SMEs to multinationals
FAQs
Questions about these guides
How to get the most from them, and when to talk to a consultant.
Which guide should I read first?
If you are new to a standard, start with its certification process guide for the full route, then the cost guide to plan the budget. If you already have a system in place, the gap analysis guide shows how to find out where you stand.
Do the guides apply outside the standards shown here?
The journey is much the same for most management system standards, so the process and internal audit guides are a sound starting point. Each standard hub on this site has its own guides where the detail differs.
Can a Sterling consultant help me apply a guide to my organisation?
Yes. Book a free discovery call and a Sterling consultant in your region will talk through your scope, sites and target date, and the next steps that fit them.
Talk to a consultant
Turn a guide into a plan for your organisation
Tell us your goals, locations and target date. We’ll help you define the scope, timeline and next steps.
hello@sterling-grc.com+1 201 263 4443 (global headquarters) · your nearest office and its number are at the top of this page
What would you like to achieve?
Choose a starting point. The enquiry form takes about a minute.
Book my free discovery callContinue to the enquiry form to share your details. Please do not include passwords, sensitive personal information or confidential files. A Sterling consultant replies within one working day. Privacy notice