A client with a small, but very technical, IT department and international customers desired to be ISO-certified. The client contracted Down East Engineering to define and implement an ISO 9001 program. Working with the client's established work flow processes and augmenting them as necessary to ensure ISO compliance, we brought the client to ISO-certification in six months. The process involved writing new procedures to address the requirements of ISO 9000-3, procedures to integrate the new program with their existing ISO 9001 program, and working with staff and management to understand and implement the new program.
The ISO 9000-3 Standard is named "Quality management and quality assurance standards - Part 3: Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001 to the development, supply and maintenance of software." It was originally written as a "guidance standard." The TickIT program turns it into a compliance standard.
Because the client had international customers (Europe, China, South America, . . ), it also wished to consider TickIT certification.
The TickIT [2013-11-10] program was created by the British Standards Institution [2013-11-10] to provide a method for registering software development systems based on the ISO 9000-3 standard. (Note, that's dash 3, not 9003.) The scheme was jointly developed by the United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the British Computer Society.
Getting the correct auditor can help make you a success. Getting the wrong one can bring an organization to its knees in an administrative quagmire. TickIT auditors must have several years experience as software developers, giving them the specialized knowledge and experience required to audit under the scheme. They then must take the TickIT lead auditor course and pass required exams. A similar process is required in the US for ISO 9000-3 auditors.
Disclaimer: Information presented here about quality organizations is obtained from sources believed to be correct. Down East Engineering takes no responsibility for inaccuracies in this information.