Last Updated on October 31, 2025 by Melissa Lazaro

Why Integration Matters for Modern Certification Bodies

Most certification bodies manage multiple standards at once — one for people (ISO/IEC 17024), one for products or services (ISO/IEC 17065), and sometimes a broader quality framework like ISO 9001.
It sounds impressive, but here’s the challenge: when these systems operate separately, you end up with duplicated documents, conflicting procedures, and triple the workload.

Over the years, I’ve helped organizations integrate their systems into a single framework that satisfies all standards. The result? Fewer documents, smoother audits, and a more cohesive organization that runs on clarity instead of chaos.

This article walks you through how to integrate ISO/IEC 17024 with ISO 9001 or ISO/IEC 17065, so your certification body gains efficiency, consistency, and full accreditation confidence — without reinventing the wheel.

Understanding the Relationship Between ISO/IEC 17024, ISO 9001, and ISO/IEC 17065

All three standards share a common goal: trust and competence. They just approach it from different angles.

• ISO/IEC 17024 focuses on certifying people.
• ISO/IEC 17065 governs product, process, or service certification.
• ISO 9001 ensures consistent quality management within any type of organization.

Even though they serve different scopes, they overlap heavily in principles — things like impartiality, competence, document control, and continual improvement.

That overlap is good news. It means you can build one management system that meets all three standards simultaneously.

Pro Tip: Integration can cut your documentation volume by 30–40 percent if you merge procedures like document control, internal audits, and management review.

Common Pitfall: Forcing alignment without mapping the differences first. Each standard has its own emphasis — for example, ISO/IEC 17024 focuses on personal competence, while ISO/IEC 17065 emphasizes product conformity.

Mapping Common Clauses Across ISO/IEC 17024, ISO 9001, and ISO/IEC 17065

Before you rewrite anything, map the overlaps. A simple correlation table helps you see where the standards align — and where they don’t.

Process Area	ISO/IEC 17024	ISO 9001	ISO/IEC 17065	Integration Focus
Document control	Clause 9	Clause 7.5	Clause 8.1	Use one procedure with shared templates.
Management review	Clause 9	Clause 9.3	Clause 8.5	Hold one review meeting addressing all standards.
Competence management	Clause 6	Clause 7.2	Clause 6.1	Maintain a single competence matrix.
Internal audit	Clause 9	Clause 9.2	Clause 8.6	Combine internal audits using one checklist.
Risk management	Clause 4/6	Clause 6.1	Clause 4.1	Implement one unified risk register.

When you see it laid out this way, integration becomes more practical — it’s not about merging everything, just aligning what already overlaps.

Pro Tip: Color-code your matrix. Visual cues make it easy to spot clauses that can be unified and those that require scheme-specific handling.

Common Pitfall: Ignoring subtle intent differences. ISO 9001’s “risk” often focuses on operational performance, while ISO/IEC 17024’s “risk” targets impartiality and conflict of interest.

Building an Integrated Management System Framework

Integration starts with understanding, not documentation. Once you’ve mapped the overlaps, follow this structured approach:

1. Conduct a clause-by-clause comparison of all applicable standards.
2. Identify overlapping procedures (document control, impartiality, competence, audits).
3. Merge redundant processes into single, clearly worded SOPs.
4. Harmonize terminology — don’t call it “quality manual” in one place and “management system manual” in another.
5. Develop one management manual that describes your structure and references scheme-specific appendices.

Pro Tip: Keep your system modular. If one accreditation scope changes, you only adjust that section instead of rewriting everything.

Example: I once worked with a certification body running three standards separately — over 160 controlled documents. After integration, they maintained just 88, and their internal audit effort dropped by half.

Common Pitfall: Copy-pasting procedures from different systems without editing them for consistency. Auditors spot that instantly.

Integrating Risk Management, Impartiality, and Continual Improvement

All three standards rely on a solid understanding of risk — and impartiality sits right at the heart of that. Instead of maintaining separate risk logs for each standard, you can combine them into one integrated process.

Your single risk-management framework can cover:

• Impartiality and conflicts of interest (from ISO/IEC 17024 and 17065).
• Customer satisfaction and process risks (from ISO 9001).
• Strategic and operational risks (shared across all).

Add periodic reviews and improvement tracking, and you’ve covered continual improvement requirements for every standard in one stroke.

Pro Tip: Use your management review as the central platform for discussing risk, performance, and improvement — one meeting, one set of minutes, multiple standards satisfied.

Common Pitfall: Treating risk as paperwork. Real integration means embedding risk thinking into daily decision-making, not just maintaining forms.

Training and Competence Alignment Across Standards

Training is another area where integration saves serious time. Instead of three separate training programs, create one comprehensive competence framework that meets all the standards.

Start with shared training modules:

• ISO fundamentals and terminology.
• Impartiality and ethics.
• Internal audit and corrective actions.
• Risk-based thinking.
• Scheme-specific technical training (as appendices).

Pro Tip: Cross-train assessors. A 17024 assessor who understands ISO 9001 processes will assess more effectively and provide higher-value insights.

One client I worked with reduced their annual training cost by 25 percent simply by consolidating overlapping courses and aligning evaluations across standards.

Common Pitfall: Keeping training records in silos. Maintain one training matrix, one competence evaluation log, and one set of qualification records.

Audit Integration and Accreditation Readiness

Integrated audits are where the benefits truly show. You can plan internal audits that evaluate multiple standards in one cycle using a unified checklist.

During management reviews, evaluate results collectively — customer feedback (9001), assessor performance (17024), and impartiality oversight (17065) all in one discussion.

Pro Tip: Align your accreditation cycles. If your 9001 surveillance audit happens in March and your 17024 assessment in June, request harmonization. Accreditation bodies often appreciate well-planned integrated systems.

Common Pitfall: Mixing evidence between standards without labeling it. Always cross-reference evidence by clause so assessors can trace compliance easily.

Benefits of Integration for Certification Bodies

Integration isn’t just about saving time; it’s about improving quality and consistency.

Here’s what certification bodies gain:

• Streamlined documentation: Fewer redundant forms and manuals.
• Efficiency: One system to maintain, audit, and improve.
• Consistency: Unified language and processes across schemes.
• Credibility: Demonstrates a mature management approach to accreditation bodies.
• Scalability: Easier to add new standards later.

A certification body I supported reduced nonconformities by 35 percent during its first integrated audit simply because staff understood the system as one cohesive framework.

FAQs – Integrating ISO/IEC 17024 with ISO 9001 or ISO/IEC 17065

Can we integrate ISO/IEC 17024 and ISO/IEC 17065 under one management system?
Yes. Many certification bodies operate both schemes under a shared management system, using scheme-specific appendices for the technical details.

Which standard should we base our system on?
Most organizations use ISO 9001 as the structural backbone because its Annex SL format aligns naturally with ISO/IEC standards.

Do accreditation bodies accept integrated systems?
Absolutely. As long as you demonstrate that each standard’s requirements are fully addressed, integrated systems are often praised for their efficiency.

One System, Multiple Accreditations

Running multiple systems separately wastes energy. Integration gives you control, consistency, and confidence — the very principles ISO standards are built on.

When you align ISO/IEC 17024 with ISO 9001 or ISO/IEC 17065, your certification body becomes leaner, smarter, and easier to audit. You maintain one management system that supports every accreditation seamlessly.

Next Step:
Download the Integration Mapping Template or book a consultation to develop a fully integrated management system tailored to your certification body.