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R2 AUDITS: 3 THINGS TO KNOW

I have been doing internal R2 audits for many years now. In those years I’ve had the opportunity to work with, and see, lots of different types of companies. Big companies, small companies, companies that run like well-oiled machines and set the standard in their industry, and ragtag companies that do the bare minimum to stay in business. In my experience, I’ve noticed a handful of things that help me to foresee how successful they will be in implementing and maintaining the R2 environmental standard.

Without further ado, here are 3 things I wish all companies knew (and embraced) about the process:

1. Organization is Key.  Standards compliance will be much, much easier in the long run for people that are able to create a system of organization at the very beginning. A few tips:

  • Keep your documentation in one place
  • Let everyone know where that place is
  • Review the documentation regularly

2. R2 Standard Compliance is A Process. As with any standard, R2 standard compliance is not “set it and forget it.” Companies that have the easiest time with their R2 audits and certifications are those that:

  • Schedule regular meetings to discuss and plan compliance activities
  • Communicate with co-workers to make sure everyone is on the same page
  • Keep management updated

3. The More You Know Your Downstream, The Happier You Will Be – To keep your R2 certification, you will need to know what standards your downstream vendors (DSV) maintain. Some tips:

  • Ask questions! So you can put together a flow chart to include in your documentation.
  • There are some great guides on https://sustainableelectronics.org/implementation-guide-provision-5

Want more? Click this link to know about Responsible Recycling.  Presented by Scott Jones, member of the R2 Technical Advisory Committee, R2 Lead Auditor, and R2 Internal Auditor Trainer.

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ADDITIONAL ISO 9001 RESOURCES

ISO 9001: QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION

In the era of information, knowledge, and technology consumers have more buying power than they used to. As a result of this shift in the purchase-power dynamic, quality of product and service, as well as the consumer experience has become much more important. So vital, in fact, that many companies are making the consumer experience their number one priority. ISO 9001 and quality management principles, also prioritize quality in product, service, and consumer experience. Pursuing ISO 9001 certification yields many benefits to organizations. As with all ISO certifications, ISO 9001 is obtainable by organizations of any size or stature. In other words, companies as small as a single-person, or as large as a conglomerate composed of multiple entities.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

The quality management principles laid out in ISO 9001 address quality management at a high level. In other words, certain aspects of ISO 9001 will only apply to specific types of organizations, while others will be universal. Companies that are pursuing certification in ISO 9001 should conduct the specific research related to their field or industry to ensure they’re integrating all of the applicable sections of ISO 9001. No matter how robust your implementation of ISO 9001 is, the categorical results should be nearly identical across organizations and companies no matter their size. The core of quality management comes down to the executive level employees, c-suite executives, and leadership of the company. With any large-scale or company-wide initiative, the support and reinforcement from upper management is extremely vital to garnering organization-wide support, and employee buy-in. After establishing a culture that is ready to accept quality management principles of ISO 9001, the company will see a whole series of positive results.

BENEFITS OF ISO 9001

Investing in quality management should already be a priority in your organization. Emphasizing quality management improves many layers of the organization that are vital to improving and growing business. With easier access to information, consumers are more readily equipped with the data they need to make informed product decisions when it comes to purchasing. In other words, with the era of the internet, and an oversaturated marketplace that is full of competition, consumers have the ability to choose from any number of companies offering similar products or services. In fact, after a single negative experience with a brand, even long-standing consumers will choose to jump-ship and head to the doors of a competitor. ISO 9001 enhances the consumer experience overall by dedicating the organization to buying into and developing quality management practices that relate to the products and services that the company offers, as well as the consumer journeys.

Frequently Asked Question

ISO certification follows the same process, regardless of the ISO standard you are seeking:

  1. Establish, implement and verify your ISO management system
  2. Stage 1 audit – Documentation Review
  3. Stage 2 audit – Full system audit
  4. Closure of any findings
  5. Certification!

The standards that best suit your company vary by the industry you are in. In order to identify the standards that will provide your company with the greatest benefits, we recommend the following:

  1. Talk to your customers – many of them may require certain ISO standards.
  2. Evaluate your companies risks – see where your companies great liabilities are what needs to be controlled (e.g. quality, environmental aspects, health & safety hazards, IT security, etc.).
  3. Be proactive and identify new business opportunities – evaluate new areas / industries you want to grow your business. Often times, these new industries may require some sort of certification in order to enter. Certification takes time, so being proactive and having the certifications before bidding on projects can put you ahead of your competition.

The time to become ISO certified really depends on a few different factors:

  1. The resources you have available to support the ISO process
  2. Your own internal timeframe that you need / want to be certified by
  3. The standard’s requirement for how much evidence you need to support certification

Certification requires you to show through objective evidence that you have an effective ISO management system in place. In order to do this, you need to show that you have sufficient evidence available to support this claim. At a minimum, most standards will require 3 months of evidence of implementing your management system in order to be certified.

Some standards, such as IATF 16949, may require a minimum of one year of evidence to support certification.

The cost for certification can vary greatly from one company to another. There are typically several factors that go into the costs for certification:

  1. Certification body fees
  2. Certification body audit day rates
  3. Auditor travel costs
  4. Standard license fees (e.g. R2, RIOS, eStewards license fees)
  5. Consulting Fees

Audit time and consulting time is typically based on the following factors:

  1. Number of employees
  2. Number of processes and the risks associated with those processes
  3. Number of locations

We have the experience to help you navigate the certification body costs and possible discounts they can offer.

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ISO certification shows your customers that you follow industry best practices and that your business is well structured and ready for growth.

Each ISO standard has its own benefits, for example:

  • ISO 9001 – Ensures you provide your customers with a quality product or service
  • ISO 27001 – Protects your information, data and reputation
  • ISO 14001 – Reduces your environmental impact
  • ISO 45001 – Protects your workers
  • Responsible Recycling (R2) – ensures responsible management of used electronics

Common benefits across all ISO standard include:

  • Increased efficiency
  • Reduced costs
  • Improved customer satisfaction
  • More engaged employees
  • Reduced risks
  • Reduced insurance premiums
  • Helps with project bidding

By achieving and maintaining an ISO certification, you are showing your company’s commitment to achieving your objectives, improving your business and increasing the credibility and customer confidence in your product or service.

Yes. We have been providing remote auditing and consulting services for years. We have found remote auditing and consulting to be just as effective as on-site. We use a variety of tools to ensure we are thorough in our remote services, while saving you time and money.

The great thing about working with Glacier consulting is that you don’t need anything in place to get started. We will work with you ever step of the way to ensure you have everything you need to get certified.

Most companies have far more in place than they realize. Just because it may not be documented, doesn’t mean you don’t have processes in place. We will work with your team to improve, streamline and formalize these processes.

One of the most common questions we get is how much time and effort does it take to get and maintain certification. The bulk of the effort should be at the beginning to get your management system established and implemented. To do this, we take what you already do and formalize it to meet the standard requirements. There may be some minor tweaking done, but this typically only improves and streamlines your process.

Once your ISO management system is in place, maintaining it should be as easy as breathing because it should become part of your culture and everyday operations. At the end of the day, you shouldn’t think of it as your ISO system, you should think of it as simply your way of operating your company.

We work with countless ISO standards. We’ve only listed the most common ISO standards typically sought after. We have a diverse team with tremendous knowledge in many of the ISO standards. Contact us and let us know what standard you are interested in. If we don’t offer that service, we can find you someone who can.

We can tailor a service specific to your needs to help you along your ISO journey. We can provide basic guidance to full “White Glove” support. If it’s business or ISO related, we’ve got you covered. A few of our services include:

  1. General ISO Consulting
  2. Documentation Prep
  3. Training
  4. Auditing
  5. Maintenance

Contact us with any questions you have or for services not listed here.