Applicable to software developers, TickIT can only be used in combination with ISO 9001. The TickIT scheme covers the assessment and certification of an organisations software quality management scheme to ISO 9001. It includes software production and services.

Managing quality in the software industry
An important purpose of TickIT has been to stimulate software developers to think about what quality really is in the context of software development, and how it may be achieved. This is supported by the UK and Swedish software industries.

A software industry guide to quality management
The TickIT initiative was launched after a report was published by the British Department of Trade and Industry reviewing the state of software quality and development in the industry. The outcome of the report showed there was a strong reluctance among software producers to adopt ISO 9001, because they felt it to be too general. Subsequently they found that a number of elements were hard to interpret for the software industry, and that the guidance notes were unclear.

As a result of the report, the British Government appointed the British Computer Society (BCS) to head an initiative called TickIT. The main aim was to create a detailed method for organisation, rules, and procedures for a Software Sector Certification Scheme (SSCS).

Where do I go from here?
For third party certification, you need to implement an effective Software Quality Management System complying with the requirements of the standard. The first step is to get on the road to certification.