Editor's note:  This is part one of a serios about customer-centric quality management systems.  Read part two here.

A document review is supposed to be conducted as part of stage one of the ISO certification process. For the uninitiated looking into certification—maybe you—that statement often draws blank looks and knit brows. Most likely you have never seen the text of the standard, or thought about the terms defining the requirements. If this describes you, welcome.

Knowing what a standard actually requires is a good first step to assess if your company’s quality management system (QMS) satisfies those requirements. In this case, that refers to ISO 9001.

As per ISO 19011:2011—“Guidelines for auditing management systems—Clause B.2—Conducting document review”

“The auditors should consider if:

—The information in the documents provided is

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