From ISO 9001 to Sector-Specific Standards and the Next Phase of Certification

Over the past three decades, the role of quality management systems has evolved dramatically. What started as a basic framework for process control under ISO 9001 has changed into a complex system. This system includes specific standards for different sectors, digital tools, and strategies based on risk.

For companies in regulated and high-risk industries, certification is important. This includes industries like aerospace, automotive, medical devices, and food safety. It requires more than just following procedures. It demands industry-specific knowledge, cross-functional integration, and a proactive approach to quality.

As these standards change, Perry Johnson Registrars (PJR) helps clients understand the growing landscape. They do this by certifying compliance and supporting ongoing improvement and operational excellence.

From Universal Frameworks to Industry Focus

The organization introduced ISO 9001 in 1987. A universal standard exists for all industries and organizations.

This applies to any size or product. It set the foundation for documented quality systems, management responsibility, and process consistency. For many years, it provided an essential baseline for organizations building structured quality systems.

As global supply chains grew and technologies became more complex, some industries outgrew the “one-size-fits-all” approach. Regulatory agencies, OEMs, and end users demanded more tailored controls and risk management. This led to the creation of specific standards for different sectors. These standards derive from ISO 9001 but impose much stricter requirements.

Examples include:

• AS9100 aerospace standard
• IATF 16949 for automotive
• ISO 13485 for medical devices
• ISO 22000 for food safety

Each of these standards is built on ISO 9001 principles. They add more rules for product safety, traceability, and regulatory compliance. They also focus on preventing counterfeit parts and planning for emergencies. These additions meet the needs of each sector.

The Rise of Risk-Based Thinking

A key change in quality system design was moving from reactive actions to risk-based thinking. This idea became important in the ISO 9001:2015 revision. This marked a philosophical evolution in quality, requiring organizations to proactively identify and mitigate potential failures before they occur.

Sector-specific standards amplify this principle. For instance:

• AS9100 includes operational risk management, safety clause implementation, and controls for external provider risk.
• IATF 16949 emphasizes FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Evaluating) and advanced product quality planning (APQP).
• ISO 13485 enforces design validation, sterility assurance, and device traceability, especially in post-market phases.

This focuses on risk reshaping the auditor-client relationship. Auditors now need to check if the team follows the procedures. They must also check if the organization identifies and controls risks in its operations.

Perry Johnson Registrars has trained its global auditor network. They now go beyond regular audits. They provide useful, industry-specific evaluations. This helps clients improve their long-term resilience.

Digital Tools and the Future of Certification

Digital transformation is influencing every aspect of business—including certification. Traditionally, audits were paper-heavy, episodic, and reactive. Today, clients are seeking real-time access, predictive insights, and integrated compliance management.

To meet this demand, registrars must adopt smarter systems. At PJR, we’re actively exploring and deploying digital enhancements such as:

• Client certification dashboards that track audit status, CARs (Corrective Action Requests), renewal timelines, and historical performance.
• Predictive compliance analytics, allowing clients to assess audit readiness and benchmark themselves against industry trends.
• Blockchain-based certificate validation, which helps verify certificate authenticity and prevent fraud in global supply chains.

These technologies change certification from a simple task into a useful business tool. This tool helps with planning and clear operations.

Integration of Standards: Efficiency and Value

As organizations take on multiple standards—quality, environment, safety, cybersecurity—the need for integrated management systems (IMS) is increasing. Companies prefer to combine their efforts.

They want to merge programs for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 27001 into one approach.

Integrated audits reduce duplication, streamline documentation, and improve cross-departmental collaboration. PJR supports this by providing:

• Combined audits with cross-competent auditors
• IMS training and consulting
• Cross-standard analyzing for systemic risk and opportunity identification

This approach is particularly beneficial for organizations in regulated industries, where siloed functions can create blind spots and inefficiencies.

Looking Ahead: ESG, Cybersecurity, and Sustainability

The next evolution of quality will likely incorporate broader concerns beyond traditional operational controls. Standards bodies and industry leaders are already moving toward frameworks that address Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, cybersecurity, and climate risk.

While not yet universally required, these themes are beginning to influence ISO revisions and client expectations. For example:

• ISO 14001 is evolving to align global sustainability goals.
• ISO/IEC 27001 is becoming essential as cybersecurity threats increase.
• Upcoming standards may include ESG performance disclosures, traceability of ethical sourcing, and climate adaptation planning.

PJR is proactively educating clients and building internal capacity to support this shift. As new compliance areas come up, organizations will need registrars. These registrars should understand the new rules. They should also help build systems that are ready for the future.

Quality Is Evolving—So Must the Certifier

The change from ISO 9001 to specific standards is more than just a technical shift. It shows a bigger change in how organizations define and manage quality. The future of certification demands innovation, flexibility, and a deep understanding of industry challenges.

Perry Johnson Registrars remains at the forefront of this movement. Through global reach, auditor expertise, and a commitment to continual improvement, PJR empowers organizations to achieve more than certification. We help them build systems that drive resilience, meet stakeholder expectations, and prepare for the next generation of standards.

Elevate Solutions Group:
Treating Customers as Partners Drives Rapid Growth

One of the Fastest Growing Companies in Georgia

Elevate Solutions Group, LLC recently received a Georgia Fast 40 Award for being the 9th fastest lower middle market company in Georgia. ACG Atlanta (The Association for Corporate Growth) held a celebration on June 12th where the company was recognized for its outstanding growth.

But customers and employees did not need a formal ceremony to appreciate the company’s success. In the past 12 months, the contract manufacturer specializing in plastic injection molding, assembly, and 3PL has hired more than 125 employees to keep up with demand. Its family of injection molding presses grew from 12 to more than 30 and its manufacturing, assembly and warehousing footprint swelled from 160,000 square feet to more than 243,000.

Customers Treated Like Partners

Elevate Solutions Group’s management team shares a simple philosophy about how it does business with its customers. As part of its stated mission, employees strive to understand a customer’s personal and business goals while taking ownership to solve problems and plan aggressively. In some cases, problem solving may mean investing in people or technology to help the customer achieve his/her desired outcome. Ideally, those outcomes will have the opportunity to result in a market advantage which ultimately leads to mutual growth and success.

When customers face manufacturing challenges but know they are being respected as partners, a different dynamic is formed. Both sides are making commitments and honoring them is critical. It is the kind of thinking and participation that has led to Elevate Solutions winning opportunities that other suppliers may have passed on.

ISO 9001 is Foundational

“There is accountability in producing precision plastic parts by injection molding for our customers. ISO 9001:2015 certification standards established through PJR are 100% embedded in our QMS (Quality Management System). Our manufacturing solutions are designed to help customers meet or exceed these standards. This kind of engagement is a competitive advantage everyone benefits from,” says Chris Gardner, VP of Sales and Marketing.

Case Study: Value Added Services and Partnership Opportunities Accelerate Growth

Plas-Fit of Israel spent more than two years carefully evaluating partner options to meet their need to ramp up domestic manufacturing to serve the US Market. In late October 2024, they found Elevate through an online search and shared the scope of their vision.

As the scope of the program became evident, both teams laid out aggressive investments and timelines that would include shipping dozens of molds and testing equipment from overseas to Elevate’s advanced manufacturing facility. With part volumes forecasted in the millions, it was evident that a family of dedicated presses across multiple shifts would be required to meet the demand.

Mike Shippel, Founder and CEO, said “Our growth over the last five years has been strong, but this new business meant staffing up, adding new shifts, expanding our Quality Lab and Tool Crib facilities, and most importantly purchasing 18 new injection molding machines, six of which would need to be installed, calibrated, and operational in less than 60 days.”

Plas-Fit sent key personnel from Israel to work with the team at Elevate and transfer knowledge about their processes and product line. There was an immediate sense of partnership and commitment to build a robust quality system and processes that would support the efforts. Audits by Plas-Fit and their own customers proved that everything was working.

“It has been amazing to see such progress happen in such a condensed period. Our complex needs and high standards required a company of a certain size, a location that was ideally suited for our customers, a skill set and technology base that was reliable and most of all, people that we could work with, trust, and rely on. Elevate Solutions checked all those boxes and more. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship for both parties,” said Kobe Friedrich, Plas-Fit Owner and CEO.

Elevate Solutions Group is a privately held contract manufacturer specializing in plastic injection molding. Strategically located in Austell, Georgia, we add value with expertise in design, engineering, assembly, kitting, and 3PL services.

Elevate’s 240,000+ sq. ft. of facilities house 30+ advanced injection molding machines (80–950T) and more than 10,000 pallet positions of finished goods, serving industry sectors like Medical, Telecommunications, and Consumer Goods.

With 250+ employees, ISO 9001 certification, FDA registration, and a robust quality system, Elevate is uniquely qualified to support re-shoring and near-shoring opportunities. Our commitment to innovation, quality, and efficiency positions us as a trusted partner with some of the world’s most recognized brands.

Elevate Solutions Group
www.esgworks.com

For more information:
chris.gardner@esgworks.com

At Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc. (PJR), we are committed to working with organizations that redefine the standards of excellence in their industries. One such organization is Southern Transport, a family-owned business that operates in the highly specialized and demanding field of heavy haul transportation and crane services. With certifications to ISO 9001 and ISO 45001, Southern Transport exemplifies what it means to go above and beyond in both quality and safety.

Pushing the Limits of Transport

The typical loaded Semi-Truck weighs approximately 80,000 pounds and measures approximately 70-72 feet in length, 8-8.5 feet in width, and 13.5 feet in height. Now imagine two of these loaded end-to-end at twice the width and 20% taller. It’s the kind of logistics challenge that demands not only specialized equipment, but also highly trained drivers, permitted routing, escort coordination, and logistical expertise to navigate tight town intersections and rugged mountain passes. For Southern Transport, this is just another day at the office.

From transporting the massive components of wind turbines to supporting infrastructure projects like highway bridge installations, they play a pivotal role in building tomorrow’s world. They also work closely with industries driving clean energy initiatives, helping deliver the essential assets that keep our nation moving forward.

ISO Certification: A Foundation for Excellence

Southern Transport’s decision to certify their management system to ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 reflects a deep commitment to operational excellence, employee well-being, and customer satisfaction. Certification has given them a structured, sustainable framework that aligns internal processes with customer needs while driving accountability throughout the organization.

“We don’t just stumble upon success. We plan for it and work together as a team,” Southern Transport noted in their recent Client Spotlight interview. “Achieving certification confirms for everyone that what we do is systematic and intentional.”

The benefits of certification are seen across the board—from better-defined processes to measurable improvements in quality and safety. Southern Transport now leverages these frameworks as a foundation for continual improvement and long-term strategic growth.

A Culture Built on Trust

Trust is more than a word at Southern Transport—it’s the bedrock of every relationship, both internal and external. This philosophy is clearly outlined in their organizational policy:

“At Southern, trust is not just a word—it is the foundation of every relationship we build. Through reliable service, accountability, and dedication to safety, we ensure that our customers and communities can always depend on us.”

Their unique “TRUST” commitment guides their work:

• • Transporting and lifting loads others cannot.

• • Respecting the needs of our customers and the communities in which we operate.

• • Understanding each customer’s needs, and every situation is unique.

• • Safety is non-negotiable for our employees, customers, and communities.

• Together, with our team and customers, we transport, lift, and place the heavy assets that build tomorrow’s possibilities.

Partnering with PJR

Southern Transport’s certification journey included their sites in Kilgore and Midland, Texas, as well as Douglas, Wyoming, with PJR providing multi-site certification. The process was collaborative and customized to their innovative use of Microsoft SharePoint and their unique operational model.

“PJR has maintained a practical approach throughout the process. They took the time to understand our business, our systems, and how we achieved conformance—not just to audit, but to partner with us.”

Leading an Industry

To the best of available knowledge, Southern stands alone as the only heavy haul transport company in the United States to hold both ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certifications with field services fully integrated into the scope. This distinction reflects a rare and rigorous commitment to safety and quality at the operational level—one that Southern has proudly made its standard.

Looking forward, they are poised for continued expansion. With a customer-focused mindset, investments in top-tier equipment, and a culture of continuous improvement, they aim to grow in ways that strategically support the industries and communities they serve.

Final Word

At PJR, we are honored to work with organizations like Southern Transport—companies that lead with integrity, build with precision, and operate with a purpose. Their dedication to quality, safety, and trust embodies the very best of what certification can achieve.

Congratulations to Southern Transport on their achievements. We’re proud to be part of your journey!

Southern Transport
(903) 986-8900
https://southerntransport.com/

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Interested in learning how PJR can help your organization achieve certification success? Contact us today to begin your journey toward quality and safety excellence.

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Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc. (PJR) is proud to announce that Austin Matthews, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Program Manager, has been selected to join the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the upcoming 2026 update of the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS). This prestigious appointment reflects Austin’s expertise and PJR’s continued commitment to advancing responsible and effective recycling standards.

The Global Recycling Standards Organization (GRSO) recently announced the formation of the TAC to guide the review and revision of the RIOS Standard and certification program. Fourteen distinguished professionals have been selected for the committee, bringing with them a broad range of perspectives from diverse industry sectors, stakeholder groups, and professional backgrounds.

The mission of the TAC is to critically assess the existing RIOS Standard and provide constructive recommendations for enhancements. The ultimate objective is to deliver an updated, value-added RIOS System that addresses the evolving challenges faced by recyclers across all commodities. The revised standard will aim to increase clarity, improve usability, and better support recyclers in today’s dynamic and complex operating environment.

Austin Matthews brings to the committee a wealth of experience in environmental management systems, auditing, and sustainability initiatives. Her role at PJR has positioned her at the forefront of EHS standards implementation and certification, making Austin an asset to the RIOS TAC as they work toward strengthening the Standard. Reflecting on her new appointment, Austin shared, “I’m excited to utilize my years of auditing to the RIOS standard, in combination with my experience in assisting PJR’s auditors and clients navigate conformity to RIOS, to help drive improvement in future iterations of the RIOS standard and its supporting criteria!”

The update process is designed to be inclusive, and feedback from the broader recycling community is both welcomed and encouraged. Stakeholders interested in contributing suggestions or insights for the 2026 RIOS Standard update are invited to submit their input via the contact form available on the RIOS website.

Click Here to learn more or to share your feedback.

PJR congratulates Austin on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to the valuable contributions she will make in shaping the future of the RIOS Standard.

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Does your organization want more information about the RIOS standard and what it can do for your business? Reach out to PJR today to request a free quote and to learn more!

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Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc. (PJR) is proud to announce our participation in FSSC Insights 2025, which took place last week in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We were represented by Lauren Maloney, our Food Safety Program Accreditation Manager, who joined industry leaders for this annual gathering focused on food safety and social sustainability.

What is FSSC Insights?

FSSC Insights is the annual event hosted by the Foundation FSSC, bringing together certification bodies, accreditation bodies, and FSSC staff to share updates and align key issues surrounding the FSSC 22000 and FSSC 24000 standards. This year’s theme, “The Power of Management Systems,” underscored the importance of integrated, robust systems in ensuring food safety and driving social responsibility.

About FSSC 22000

FSSC 22000 is a globally recognized Food Safety Management System (FSMS) certification scheme based on ISO 22000. It incorporates sector-specific prerequisite programs and additional requirements to ensure consistent food safety across the supply chain. It is benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), making it a trusted and widely accepted certification.

PJR is an approved certification body for FSSC 22000, providing auditing and certification services to organizations around the world. Our experienced auditors help ensure that your operations meet the highest standards of food safety.

If you are interested in obtaining FSSC 22000 certification or would like to request a quote or additional information, we invite you to reach out:

Phone: (248) 358-3388
Email: pjr@pjr.com
Website: https://mludwig.wpenginepowered.com/contact-us/free-quotation