General Questions
Q: Do you have to be certified to a standard such as ISO 9001:2008 to use CIS Software?
A: Absolutely not. In fact, you may start using CIS Software to start managing your organization and over time, prepare to become certified to a standard when absolutely required by your customers. You will still reap the rewards of cost savings resulting from continuous improvement.
Q: Do you charge by user?
A: No, you may have as many users on the CIS System. We strongly believe that the success of any electronic management system depends on full participation by all management and employees.
Q: Is CIS expensive?
A: No. We urge you to talk with a reseller or certified consultant. However, the basic CISLite is now as low as $ 100.00/Month and a simple start-up fee of $ 1,500.00.
Q: What about upgrades, support and bug fixes?
A: Everything is included with your monthly licensing fee including a 24/7/1-800 help line, e-mail support, on-line help videos, all upgrades and if we do ever find a bug, they are fixed immediately. There are no additional fees and no smoke and mirrors!
Q: What software do we need?
A: You only require Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher and a connection to the internet. Of course, other software such as a word processing or spreadsheet software will enable you to create procedures and these procedures can be controlled and approved within CIS Software. Other browsers such as Safari, Firefox, Chrome or Opera may work with most of the CIS features however theses browsers are not supported and will not work with our simple on-line form editors and some other minor features within CIS that requires scripting.
Q: Will we have to revise our procedures if we start using CIS Software?
A: Yes. Every time you make a change to a process, these changes should be reflected in a revised procedure. However, since CIS software has a solution for all elements of ISO 9001:2008 and other similar standards, the procedures can refer to CIS and to the CIS help manual therefore reducing the size and complexity of your management system.
Q: If we are loading information into an online system, is the information secure and is it backed-up regularly? A: Of course the information is secure and it is always backed up. Both features are constantly revised to take advantage of the latest technologies available. All of CIS is backed up daily. Please read about our security procedures.
Q: What if we are using other software such as spreadsheets for calibration and training records. Can the information be imported into CIS or will we have to enter it record-by-record? A: All information can be imported into CIS Software. However, certain standard imports can be provided at no fee while other custom imports may require a small fee to cover the programmer's time. Free imports include customers, users, employees, suppliers, employee's training records and approved suppliers including the specific approval method and information.
Q: We heard that some registrars can perform audits online using electronic systems such as CIS. Is this true? A: This is partially true. Certain parts of the audit can be performed online such as a review of your documentation, overall review of the various modules such as nonconformity and corrective action to ascertain the level of commitment to the management system. However, the registrars are still required by their certification to spend a pre-determined amount of man-hours performing the audit onsite. The man-hours is determined by the size and type of company and should be similar for all registrars. We hope and look forward to some changes in these requirements in the years to come.
Q: Can we have a demonstration or webinar to learn more about CIS Software?
A: Absolutely. Please complete our contact form (click here) or contact a certified consultant or reseller (click here) and they will be pleased to arrange a demonstration with you and your management team.
Questions About the ISO Standard
Q: What does "ISO 9001:2008 Certified mean"?
A: “ISO 9001:2008 Certified” means that the company has been issued a certificate of conformance to that international standard, regarding the structure, content and implementation of its quality management system.
Q: How long will it take to get ISO 9001:2008 certified?
A: The amount of time it takes to gain successful registration will vary with each organization as no two businesses are the same. Think of it as a time frame to accumulate your population of audit evidence. However, using CIS Software certainly simplifies the implementation and will provide clear guidelines on how to address each element of ISO 9001:2008.Two to three months of working records in CIS Software is sufficient evidence for most registrars. If your audit goes well, it usually takes about 6 weeks for the registration body to process the documentation and issue the certificate.
Q: When will ISO 9001:2000 expire?
A: The publication date of ISO 9001:2008 was 14 November 2008. Twelve months after publication of ISO 9001:2008, all accredited certifications issued (new certifications or reassessments) must be to ISO 9001:2008. Twenty-four months after publication by ISO of ISO 9001:2008, all certification must be to the ISO 9001:2008 standard. Any existing certification issued to ISO 9001:2000 will not be valid.
Q: Are there any new requirements in ISO 9001:2008?
A: No. ISO 9001:2008 introduces no new requirements and only introduces clarifications to the existing requirements of ISO 9001:2000. If you and your registrar have been interpreting the 2000 standard requirements in accordance with the intent of the standard authors, then there is no real change to the requirements. It also introduces changes intended to improve consistency with ISO 14001:2004.
Q: How do we upgrade to the 2008 Standard?
A: We use the term “transition” instead of “upgrade” because there are really no additional requirements. Transition may occur at a regularly scheduled surveillance audit or at a recertification audit to the new version.
Q: Will we need to develop additional procedures?
A: The nature of the clarifications will not require you to create new documented procedures; however, the revision may warrant a review of existing procedures and practices against the changes to assure that what you have been doing meets the requirements as clarified.
Q: Is CIS Software ready for ISO 9001:2008 edition?
A: Yes. In fact, the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 are detailed in the CIS Software help files.
Q: I have a few more questions before starting the process of certification. Can someone at CIS Software help me?
A: Please feel free to complete our contact form and we will forward your questions and concerns to the best consultant suited for your industry (click here).