WHAT IS ISO AND WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS IT

The ISO Standards provide an answer to the question, “How can we find the best way to do something?” ISO certification has definite benefits across all areas of business including operation, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. 

The objectives of standardisation are as follows: 

1. Ensure product consistency 
2. Ensure the safety of products and personnel
3. Encourage global compatibility and collaboration  

Implementing the ISO standards gives businesses indisputable economic, technological and social benefits. Not only does it provide solutions to challenges but it also supports innovation. The purpose of this is to help businesses drive their own objectives forward, create sustainability, and ultimately thrive. 

It applies to all industries, whether you’re making a product, providing a service, managing a process, or supplying materials. The family of ISO standards covers a range of activities for all sectors and sizes of business.

There is an ISO standard that will help you streamline and refine multiple areas of your business. 

Whether you are a:

• Manufacturer
• Seller /  Buyer
• Customer
• Trade association
• User 
• Regulator

You can upgrade all business processes and improve output, and profits, save time and money through the implementation of ISO standards. The standards cover everything from quality management to environmental performance, information security, food safety, risk management, and of course, health and safety. 

It offers solutions and the best systems for a variety of businesses and technology. This helps organisations and companies to improve performance, while still protecting consumer interest and the planet.

The ISO standards have been developed through a global, agreed-upon formula that dictates the best ways of performing any task, be it a product creation, delivering a service, or managing a process. 

The most well-known standards are ISO 9001, which focuses on quality. Next is the ISO 14001, which focuses on the environment, and then the ISO 45001, which focuses on health and safety management.

5 Reasons to get ISO certified

Getting certified to ISO standards for Quality, Safety or Environment is an essential and inseparable part of any business entering the next phase of growth. ISO certification is particularly important in certain industries, to demonstrate that you meet the global benchmark for the relevant standard. This includes construction, engineering, manufacturing, mining, health, and technology.  Companies often seek out ISO certification to drive objectives forward, optimise and streamline their processes, and systems. As a result of certification, they increase their output. Another important benefit of obtaining ISO certification is bringing in new business. In fact, many organisations need to get ISO certification in order to bid for work, win tenders and expand.

There are the top 5 reasons to get ISO certified: 

1. Implement a process approach 

All businesses across all industries require processes and systems in order to fulfill their daily operations. The successful execution of these processes is what ensures that a business can deliver its product or service to the highest standard. The longevity of this successful delivery will depend on ensuring that these processes are created according to a formula and are replicable. This is how the ISO standard assists businesses, by requiring documentation of these processes; inputs, actions, and intended outcomes.  

2. Identify areas for improvement

Implementing certain processes and systems across operations and departments with the ISO standards gives businesses an opportunity to integrate the implementation of multiple standards more easily. 

3. Improve customer satisfaction 

Keeping customers and clients happy is at the heart of all business. The key focus of ISO 9001 for Quality Management Systems is all about customer satisfaction. Happy clients mean repeat business and referrals. So it pays to ensure customer satisfaction. 

4. Increase productivity

A major benefit of certifying your management systems to ISO standards is that it helps your business streamline existing processes to make them as efficient as they can be to produce consistently high-quality results. It also provides a structure for how the people within a business can support, follow, and contribute to the system. Involving people in this way fosters deeper engagement with operations. This can lead to reduced turnover of staff, better productivity, enhanced trust and collaboration, and a skilled and happy workforce.

5. Grow your business 

Implementing a certified management system has a positive effect across multiple areas within a business.  Not only will it improve customer satisfaction, reduce staff turnover and create a skilled and happy workforce but it will have a huge positive impact on your reputation. Having a certified management system in place demonstrates a commitment to quality. This is essential for applying for tenders and contracts and can open doors to a range of opportunities. 

All of these combined means boosting revenue and gaining market share. ISO certification is often the key to gaining new clients and securing larger contracts. 

 

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