You can think of ISO certification as that stamp of approval your business or company needs to prove that you’re serving quality and consistency in the international marketplace. Therefore, each company needs to have it to level the playing field and cement its place in the industry.
To help you understand it better and learn the advantages of ISO certification for businesses, in this article, we’ll cover the following:
Table of Contents
What is an ISO Certification?
Let’s start with ISO. It stands for International Organization for Standardization – an independent, non-governmental, international organization responsible for creating standards that help maintain the quality, safety, and efficiency of services, products, and systems.
Therefore, an ISO certification ensures that the management system, service, or manufacturing process meets all the criteria for standardization and quality assurance.
There are multiple ISO certifications across different industries, such as energy management, food safety management, data protection, etc. The aim is to make consistency a practice.
Every certification has its standards and requirements and is classified numerically. This brings us to the next section.
Types of ISO Certifications
ISO has initiated up to 22,521 International standards, encompassing all industries, from food safety and technology to agriculture and healthcare. However, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are the two primary Standards certifications since they cover all types of businesses and industries.
Some of the most popular ISO certification standards and their uses have been listed below:
ISO 9001
The standard is responsible for establishing, executing, and sustaining a particular firm based on the Quality Management Program. Applicable for businesses of all sizes and capital, it is the standard that has been used right from the start, and currently, the version revised in 2015 is in use.
ISO 27001
An information security standard, ISO 27001, establishes how the management system should be designed to get information security under management’s control.
ISO 14001
It contains the guidelines for establishing an environmental management system (EMS). ISO 14001 has all the different policies, strategies, procedures, and documents that clearly state how a business needs to deal with the environment.
Therefore, the standard provides the structure and policies every business needs to follow when establishing an EMS. The one that’s in use currently has been active since 2015.
ISO 45001
If your company is trying to develop an occupational health and safety system, you’ll have to follow the requirements stated in this standard. It covers all the guidelines, operations, programs, risk assessment, and other aspects needed to ensure security and health.
Released in 2018, it’s being implemented by multiple industries currently.
OHSAS 18001
All the procedures, policies, plans, etc., outlining the various regulations to maintain safety and health, fall under this standard. So those who want to build an occupational health and security management program need to get certified in this standard.
It was adopted in 2007, is still in use, and is followed by all organizations.
Benefits of ISO Certification for Businesses
If you’re thinking about whether ISO certification for businesses is worth it or not, maybe these reasons will help:
- Streamlined processes – Businesses should get certified because it helps address all the essential processes throughout the company. With the help of these requirements that come under ISO, a company can manage standard protocol of quality which leads to an improvement in products and services.
- More satisfied customers – The main goal of a company is to offer the best services or products to its consumers and ultimately increase customer satisfaction. To get these results, several different methods are tried and tested.
One of the best ways to improve customer satisfaction is by getting an ISO certification. Why? Because not only does it make you adhere to strict guidelines, but many clients and customers wish to do business with only those ISO-certified companies. - Better decision-making – The correct decision-making can change the game for any company. If it does so based on an in-depth analysis of the required information and processes, the decisions that will be made will automatically be better than those based on a ‘gut feeling.’
This is where ISO comes in, accompanied by its structured framework for quality management, ensuring that you make the right decisions. - Adhere to rules laid down by the government – Getting a government contract is a massive achievement for any company. But before applying for such an opportunity, you’ll need to ensure that your company is equipped to match all the guidelines.
Usually, the government states ISO certification as a qualifying criterion. Therefore, ISO certifications can help you qualify and bag government contracts. - Establish trust and credibility – To get an edge over your competitors and establish your company as a figure of trust and authority in the market, getting ISO certified can help. Since ISO is a well-known and recognized mark of credibility for an organization, getting ISO certification will naturally lead to more customers as they trust your brand.
- Save money – Every company wants to save money on the additional cost of repairs, rework, obsolete inventory, and so on. Not just this, but even the loss of time and energy are added expenses.
You can become more cost-effective and save money on all these with the help of ISO certification. If your company follows the standard quality management protocol given by ISO, it will automatically decrease the number of repairs and other such losses. - Happier, more empowered employees – Getting ISO certification also requires training the staff accordingly. If you teach them, they’ll have the tools – such as metrics, procedures, and proper protocol – needed to perform their specific tasks better and increase their productivity.
We could go on, but the benefits listed above speak for themselves. There are multiple benefits of ISO certification for businesses, and if you want some help there, all you need to do is reach out to us! We’re more than happy to help.
About IS Auditor
IS Auditr is a team of experienced ISO and Audit experts. They offer several end-to-end services, provide certifications to businesses and help them enhance their day-to-day operations. If you want to know more about our services, contact us.