Certification
International Organization for
Standardization(ISO)
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization.An independent, non-governmental and an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards.
ISO has published more than 21,584 standards with a membership of 165 national standard bodies and members in 162 countries and 788 technical bodies for standard development that brings together experts to share knowledge and develop consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to new global challenges.
The organisation continued to record an increases in certification in 2018.
Standards
Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who know the needs of the organizations they represent – people such as manufacturers, sellers, buyers, customers, trade associations, users or regulators.
Think of them as a formula that describes the best way of doing something. It could be about making a product, managing a process, delivering a service or supplying materials – standards cover a huge range of activities.
Standards were created to offer guidance, co-ordination, simplification and unification of criteria to companies and organizations in order to reduce costs and increase effectiveness, as well as to standardize product and service standards for international organizations.
ISO standards have been developed and adopted by many companies in many countries out of a need and willingness to standardize quality parameters. These standard’s makes documents with required standards, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used by companies to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are suitable for their purpose. Additionally, ISO ensures that these requirements are accepted in all member countries, to ensure standardization.
Benefits
- An immense value for the competitiveness of enterprises working in transport, machinery, electro-technical products, or telecommunications.
- Better relations with suppliers and clients derived from the improved safety of consumers.
- Help to bridge the gap between research and marketable products or services. Easier introduction of innovative products provided by interoperability between new and existing products, services and processes – for example in the field of eco-design, smart grids, energy efficiency of buildings, nanotechnologies, security, and eMobility.
- It contributes to the removal of technical barriers to trade and improves the market access as a result of increased competitiveness and efficiency both in local and international markets, reduced trading costs, simplified contractual agreements and increased quality.
- Once a business becomes ISO certified, they can advertise their quality certification as well as respond to requests for quotes from firms, which make the ISO certificate a must have. Therefore; ISO certification can increase your sales and revenue. In fact, many large companies require their suppliers to be ISO certified and this certification can be particularly important if you attempt to enter foreign markets. Opening up global markets has no doubt been a key benefit; these standards have meant that the movement of goods, services and logistical technologies are now compatible making trading easier but also safer too.
- Reliability means quality, safety and durability of products and/or services. With an ISO certification, companies have the opportunity to demonstrate their reliability to purchasers, suppliers, business partners, government and they meet the requirements of international legislation and regulation and adhere to these. With ISO certificate, companies show that they are a serious player.
- Standards help manufacturers reduce costs, anticipate technical requirements and increase productive and innovative efficiency.
- Standards help organizations improve the quality of their services, manage projects in the most effective way and access new markets is also a benefit as products and services can be compatible with international standards. This will also increase consumer confidence as they see the International Standard logo as a trusting sign and as a synonymous of good quality. ISO standards help to improve your reputation, providing your customers greater confidence on your products and services.
- Standards help organizations to prove that they are actually committed to deal with environmental and social challenges and improve their sustainability.
- Standards improve performance by giving organizations the knowledge they need to optimize their operations in order to be able to perform at their best. This also help them to have satisfied customers and more efficient ways to work, as well as, the ability to implement new working practices more efficiently and faster.
- Standards may define how a product is made, used, maintained and disposed of at the end of its life. They can thus have a substantial beneficial influence on the way that products and services affect the environment.
- Standards, prepares organizations in advance to deal with risks and turn them into opportunities. These standards also ensure that you understand how to manage and mitigate risks. Therefore, if problems arise, organizations are better equipped to survive them and then recover faster.
ISO Standards
1- ISO-9001-Quality Management System:
The ISO 9001 family is the quality management standard, and comprises of some of ISO’s best-known standards. ISO 9001:2015 is the only standard in the category that you can be certified to. There are over one million organizations in over 170 countries that are certified to ISO 9001 which is defined as the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.
2- ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System:
The international standard in this category lay emphasis on an effective environmental management system and provides a framework that an organization can follow, rather than establishing environmental performance requirements and use tools such as audits, communications, life-cycle analysis and environmental challenges. More than 300,000 ISO 14001 certifications have been issued in 171 countries.
3- ISO 22000 – Food Safety Management System:
ISO 22000 sets out the requirements for a food safety management system and can be certified to it. It maps out what an organization needs to do to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe.
4- ISO 22301 – Business Continuity Management System:
ISO 22301 is the Business Continuity Management System standard designed to ensure that a robust business continuity management system has been established and that internal staff members are fully aware of their role within the system should an incident occur.
5- ISO 26000 – Guidance on Social Responsibility:
Organizations cannot be certified to ISO 26000, however, this standard provides guidance on how businesses can embrace social responsibility and is intended to assist organizations in contributing to sustainable development. It is intended to encourage them to go beyond legal compliance, recognizing that compliance with law is a fundamental duty of any organization and an essential part of their social responsibility.
6- ISO 27000 – Information Security Management System:
The 27000 category of standards for an information security management system which provides framework of policies and procedures (to establish, implement, operate, monitor, maintain as well as improve ISMS) that includes all legal, physical and technical controls involved in an organization’s information risk management to ensure the safety of information assets. These standards help organizations manage the security of assets such as intellectual property, financial and employee data thus protecting client and employee information. There are 33,290 certificates issued for this certification.
7- ISO 28000 – Security Management System for Supply Chain:
An international standard which addresses the requirements of a Security Management System (SMS) for the supply chain particularly dealing with security assurance in the supply chain. It specifies the aspects to help the organization to assess security threats and to manage them as they arise in their supply chain and to determine if appropriate security measures are in place and can protect their properties from various threats.
8- ISO 31000 – Guidelines on Risk Management:
This standard cannot be used for certification purposes, but it provides principles, a framework and a process for managing risks and enables organizations to achieve objectives in an uncertain environment by helping companies to identify opportunities and threats and effectively allocate and use resources for risk treatment.
9- ISO 37001 – Anti-Bribery Management System:
Transparency and trust are the building blocks of any organization’s credibility. Nothing undermines effective institutions and equitable business more than bribery. Bribery is a danger for today’s businesses. This standard provides guidance in establishing, implementing and improving anti-bribery management system. This standard is applicable to all types of organizations with respect to bribery and helps prevent, detect and respond to bribery by adopting anti-bribery policy to oversee anti-bribery compliance, training, risk assessments and due diligence on projects and business associates, implementing financial and commercial controls, and instituting reporting and investigation procedures. This standard also provides a globally recognized way to address one of the world’s most challenging issues head-on and destructive criminal activity that turns over a trillion dollars of dirty money each year and demonstrates a committed approach to stamping out corruption.
10- ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management System:
An international standard for occupational health and safety which provides a framework for employees and visitors safety, reducing workplace hazards, accidents and diseases to provide better and safer working environments. It mitigates any factors that can cause employees and businesses irreparable harm. An International Standard with the potential to save almost three million lives each year.
11- ISO 50001 – Energy Management System:
An international standard provides a practical way to improve energy use, through the development of an energy management system (EnMS) which provides guidance for companies in implementing and improving efficiency in the use of energy by reducing companies energy footprint by and greenhouse gas emissions by working on the model of continual improvement (by developing a policy with fix targets and objectives to better understand and make decisions about energy use and measure the results by reviewing the policy) that makes it easier for organizations to integrate energy management into their overall efforts to improve quality and environmental management. Over 20,000 certifications have been issued for this standard.