Achieving ISO certifications is a significant milestone for any organization, especially ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 27001 for information security. When our company decided to obtain ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 27001 for information security, I knew it would be a challenging journey. These certifications are highly respected and help businesses maintain high standards in process efficiency, security, and customer satisfaction. However, what I didn’t anticipate was the real-world difficulties that came with both obtaining and maintaining these certifications.
Why ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Matter
ISO 9001 focuses on quality management systems (QMS), ensuring that businesses follow a structured approach to delivering products and services that consistently meet customer expectations. Companies that achieve ISO 9001 certification can streamline their processes, reduce inefficiencies, and minimize errors, leading to improved operational performance. Customers and partners also place a higher level of trust in companies that adhere to these globally recognized quality standards.
On the other hand, ISO 27001 is crucial for information security management systems (ISMS). With increasing cybersecurity threats and growing regulatory requirements, businesses must take stringent measures to protect sensitive data. ISO 27001 provides a framework to identify, assess, and mitigate security risks, ensuring that confidential information remains protected against breaches, leaks, and cyberattacks. In industries handling sensitive client data—such as finance, healthcare, and technology—ISO 27001 certification is often a requirement rather than a choice.
While both certifications offer immense benefits, the process of obtaining and maintaining them comes with its own set of challenges.
Challenges in Obtaining ISO Certifications
One of the biggest challenges I faced was the sheer amount of documentation required. When we started the process, we realized that many of our internal procedures were not properly documented. We had processes in place, but they were mostly in people’s heads, not on paper. The auditors required clear, well-documented policies for everything—from customer handling processes (ISO 9001) to incident management and risk assessment (ISO 27001). Writing these from scratch was time-consuming and required constant back-and-forth with teams.
Another major hurdle was getting employees on board. When you introduce new compliance requirements, people naturally resist change. Some of our engineers and managers felt that the certification process was just “extra paperwork” that didn’t bring value to their daily work. This slowed down implementation because employees were not following the new processes properly. I had to conduct multiple training sessions, explain why ISO matters, and show how it benefits the company and them personally. Eventually, we gained their support, but it took months of effort.
Security compliance for ISO 27001 was another nightmare. One major challenge was password policies and access controls. Our development team had been using shared credentials for some internal services, which was a big security risk. ISO 27001 requires strict user authentication policies, access logs, and encryption, so we had to completely restructure how we handle credentials. This caused temporary disruptions, as developers had to adjust to the new system.
Challenges in Maintaining ISO Certifications
After we successfully obtained our certifications, I thought the hard part was over. I was wrong. Maintaining compliance turned out to be just as difficult—if not more—than obtaining it.
One of the biggest issues was passing yearly audits. During our first annual surveillance audit, the auditor flagged outdated risk assessments in our ISO 27001 compliance. The problem? Some security controls that were documented hadn’t been updated to reflect changes in our infrastructure. We had migrated part of our system to the cloud, but the documentation still reflected our old setup. This put our certification at risk.
Another recurring challenge was handling security incidents. As part of ISO 27001, you must have an incident response plan and report all security breaches. At one point, we had a minor internal phishing attack where an employee accidentally clicked on a suspicious email. While it didn’t cause major damage, we had to document the entire incident, conduct a review, and demonstrate to auditors how we improved security awareness. This process felt frustrating at times, but in hindsight, it helped us strengthen our security.
On the ISO 9001 side, one of the biggest struggles was process consistency. The certification requires that you follow documented procedures every single time, but in reality, employees sometimes take shortcuts. During one audit, we discovered that some team members were handling customer complaints differently than what was documented. This inconsistency led to a non-conformance report, forcing us to retrain staff and reinforce our processes.
Obtaining and maintaining ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 is a difficult but rewarding journey. It improves quality, security, and operational efficiency, but the process is far from easy. Documentation gaps, employee resistance, security incidents, and process inconsistencies are all real-world challenges that companies must overcome.
Through my experience, I learned that compliance is not just about getting a certificate—it’s about continuous improvement. By making ISO a fundamental part of our company culture, automating tasks, and staying proactive in audits, we managed to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.