The ultimate guide to certifications

Your client asks for an ISO certificate. Or you want to bid for a tender and see “ISO 9001 required” in the requirements. Maybe you simply want to improve your processes. Whatever the reason, you are in the right place.

This site explains certifications properly: clearly, practically and without unnecessary jargon. We tell you what a certification involves, what it costs, how long it takes and how to approach it.

Choose your topic

ISO 9001 → Quality management ISO 13485 → Medical devices ISO 17025 → Laboratory accreditation ISO 14001 → Environmental management ISO 22000 → Food safety ISO 22301 → Business continuity ISO 27001 → Information security ISO 27701 → Privacy management ISO 42001 → AI management ISO 45001 → Occupational health and safety ISO 50001 → Energy management CO2-Prestatieladder (CO2 performance ladder) → CO2 reduction NEN 7510 → Information security in healthcare SOC 2 → Security for SaaS VCA (Veiligheid Checklist Aannemers) → Safety checklist for contractors NEN 4400 / SNA → Obligations arising from employment HKZ (Dutch healthcare quality certification) → Quality in healthcare Safety Culture Ladder → Safety culture ISO 20000 → IT service management FSSC 22000 → Food safety in the supply chain BRCGS → Food safety for manufacturers HACCP → Food safety in practice BREEAM-NL → Sustainable buildings NEN 3140 / SCIOS → Electrical safety F-gassen / BRL 100 → Refrigeration and heat pumps EN 1090 → CE marking for steel construction ISAE 3402 → Assurance for service organisations EcoVadis → Sustainability rating for suppliers PSO-Prestatieladder (PSO performance ladder) → Socially responsible business ISO 15189 → Medical laboratories SKAL → Organic certification GMP+ → Feed safety NEN 2767 → Condition assessment and maintenance plans ISO 55001 → Asset management BRL 9500 → Energy labels and EP advice

Guides that apply to any standard

Some questions apply to almost every standard. The knowledge base has guides that stand apart from any single certification.

Choosing a certification body The initial audit ISO certification costs

How this site works

Each certification has its own section with:

Overview - What is it? Who is it for? Is it mandatory?
Step-by-step plan - From zero to certificate, step by step
Costs and timeline - Honest estimates, no hidden costs
Requirements - What exactly does the standard ask for?
The audit process - What can you expect?
Frequently asked questions - Answers to the most common questions

Who is this site for?

Business owners who want to know whether a certification is right for them
Quality managers who are going to lead a certification project
HR staff who need to arrange VCA certification
Board members who have to decide on certification
Anyone who simply wants to understand how certifications work

Our approach

We are independent. We do not sell certifications and we do not receive commission from certification bodies. What you read here is our honest view of how certification works in practice.

Do you see something that is not right, or are you missing information? Let us know.

Official sources

The information on this site is based on the official standards and guidelines of:

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - The international organisation that develops ISO standards
NEN (Netherlands Standardization Institute) - The Dutch standardisation institute that publishes the Dutch versions
Raad voor Accreditatie (Dutch Accreditation Council, RvA) - Checks whether certification bodies do their work properly