Breaking Down Common Non-Conformances
What if the biggest risks to maintaining your ISO certification are the very issues you don’t even realise you are overlooking?
Over the years we have noticed just how dedicated organisations are in working on their management systems, but there are some common pitfalls and misconceptions where many get tripped up. These gaps, which could have been avoided, often lead to non-conformances (NCs) during certification audits.
To help our clients stay ahead and strengthen their own systems to ensure conformance with the standards, we conducted a detailed review of the past five years of non-conformances (NCs). This analysis focused on the standards we have audited most frequently:
ISO 9001 (Quality Management System)
ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems)
ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems)
What we uncovered were clear patterns in where systems typically fall short and where organisations stand to make the most meaningful improvements.
A Snapshot of What We Discovered
The chart below shows an overview of the clauses where NCs most frequently occurred across the three standards that we reviewed.
The following trends stood out from our analysis:
Clause 9: Performance Evaluation accounted for the highest number of NCs raised
Clause 8: Operations and Clause 7: Support are tied together for second place as the next most frequently raised NCs
Clause 6: Planning followed closely behind as the next biggest contributor of NCs
These results tell us something important; even the most committed organisations can struggle with foundational processes that contribute towards strengthening their entire management system.
What Next?
To support organisations at any stage of their certification journey, we decided to launch a monthly article series which will be published in our monthly newsletter. Each article will explore the most frequently raised NCs clause by clause.
Here’s a brief overview of what to expect in each article:
Part 1 - Clause 9: Performance Evaluation (to be published in April)
We begin with the most commonly raised NC clause, Clause 9: Performance Evaluation. From internal audits to management reviews in this article, we will breakdown the most frequently raised issues across this clause.
Part 2 - Clause 8: Operational Controls (to be published in May)
This article will talk about Clause 8: Operational Controls. We’ll look at where issues arise when documented processes get translated into real world practice.
Part 3 – Clause 7: Support (to be published in June)
Competence, awareness, resources and documentation, which form the backbone of an effective management system, will be discussed in this article.
Part 4 - Clauses 6, 4, 5 and 10 (to be published in July)
In our final article of the series, we’ll explore NCs related to planning, context, leadership, and improvement, four areas that are critical to long‑term system maturity and organisational resilience.
Whether you are just beginning your certification journey or refining a mature system, these insights in our article series will help you avoid common pitfalls and approach your next audit with confidence.
Thinking of Getting Certified?
Certex is accredited with the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) quality, safety and environmental standards. When you are prepared to take the next steps in your certification journey, reach out to us via phone or email to see how we can support you.
Stay tuned for Article 2, where we dive deep into Clause 9: Performance Evaluation.