Data centers may be mission-critical, necessitating large investments in time, money, resources, and effort to ensure reliable operations. Colocation, cloud services, and hosting sites, like many private firms, are subject to service level agreements. As a result, it is critical to ensure that all processes are recorded.
There is a widely established method for businesses to discover and close any holes in theirs
Organization for International Standardization ISO 9001 (Worldwide Organization for Standardization) is a widely accepted international standard. It aids firms in the implementation of quality control methods and practices. ISO 9001 has been updated four times.
ISO 9001 is a best practice ISO certification that enterprises may use to demonstrate that they are doing all possible to satisfy the organization’s requirements. Companies conducting business in Europe must have the ISO 9001 certificate. It is, nonetheless, globally acknowledged. While there is no special version for data centers in Europe, the infrastructures of Iron Mountain and Amazon Web Services are ISO 9001/2015 compliant. Quality management may help businesses guarantee that their clients obtain dependable and consistent services and goods.
What is the scope of ISO 9001-2015?
ISO 9001 – 2015 puts a stronger focus on top management, increases quality management leadership criteria, and includes risk-based thinking. Even if they are not yet ISO 9001 certified, IT teams might conduct an initial Gap Analysis to identify operational problems.
Even if an institution does not seek ISO 9001 certification, it will be able to detect and fix a number of operational weaknesses. This is well worth the money.
Although the ISO 9001 criteria are common sense for most administrators, it is critical that documentation requirements be properly followed. It is not feasible for administrators to skip over material that seems to be excessive.
ISO 9001 certification consists of six processes that firms must complete in order to be certified:
ISO may be learned by self-study or one of the various courses given by professional consultants.
An internal gap analysis is done to identify places where activities do not match ISO standards.
You start documentation, also known as the full, on-paper formalization process, processes, and continuing continuous improvement plans.
Begin implementing. The whole company, including senior management, learns the processes and standards, as well as how to apply them.
To prepare the IT department for the outside audit, do an internal inspection, which is a self-assessment. Employees, clients, or future customers, as well as consultants, may conduct the audit to ensure that the corporation satisfies the standards.
To acquire an official audit from a registrar, you must go through two processes. The first stage decides if the organization is prepared for the second stage. It may be conducted remotely to save money on the trip. Stage two will take place on-site and will need administrators to correct any flaws. Auditors evaluate organizational processes, procedures, and internal documentation at this level. The auditor conducts interviews with employees to ensure that quality measures have been consistent for at least six months. He also examines for evidence and maintains records. Nonconformities should be corrected, and the auditor should do an on-site audit, which is frequently significantly quicker.