ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization.
ISO is not, however, an acronym. It is a word in itself, taken from the Greek word for equal: “isos”.
The organization chose such a word to both represent the work that it does and to also prevent misunderstandings that could arise from translations of the body’s name.
The ISO meaning is itself a prime example of a clear standard used around the world!
To date, ISO has created more than 23,000 standards. All are listed in the ISO Standards catalogue. The very first standard was created in 1951. It related to the standard reference temperature when measuring industrial lengths. Although it has seen many revisions since its inception, this standard still exists today as ISO 1:2016.
New standards are constantly being developed.
The process for implementing a new standard takes several years.
Firstly, consumer groups or industry organizations identify a need for a standard and request that one is created. Then, ISO creates a technical committee made up of experts and stakeholders. A draft standard is created, which is disseminated for comments and suggestions.
Following comments and revisions, a second draft is then created, which is then put to a formal vote. If the vote is successful, it is published by ISO as an official standard.
Furthermore, standards are often revised and updated to keep up with global developments.
ISO standards cover diverse industries and activities.
For example, there are standards related to process management, manufacturing products, supplying materials, quality control, health and safety at work, medical equipment, the environment, food safety and IT security, to name just a few. ISO standards are connected to almost every aspect of day-to-day life. Almost anything you can think of, there’s sure to be an associated international standard!
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You look out the window as you bask in the glory of creating a great business. You see a bright light that gets brighter and brighter until it engulfs you and all of your employees. This is the result of the planet losing its ozone layer completely.
While that is an extreme example, it is nonetheless true. All the profits in the world mean nothing if the world is on the brink of environmental destruction.
Believe it or not, each company has an obligation to making sure that the environment does not get any worse. ISO 26000 social responsibility contains a focus on how businesses can make a positive impact on the environment.
The largest aspect of this is pollution and how it can be avoided. With just a few steps taken, a large impact can occur.
People are very aware and dedicated to climate change. As such a business should also be aware of it and do its part to fight it.
Customers want to support a business with high management system standards. The ones outlined by the 26000 are more than sufficient enough to show that a given company is doing its part.
ISO 9001 is an overarching quality management system used by all businesses, big and small, in all areas.
The main aspect of ISO 9001 is the Quality Policy, a short statement that sets out an organization’s goals, purpose and strategies, shows how they will fulfill quality objectives and demonstrates the commitment to continuous improvement and meeting relevant requirements.
Rather than looking at meeting this standard as a bare minimum, or even as a burden, thinking of it as a business foundation and a key component of your operations is essential.
In short, ISO 9001 helps you to identify risks to your business. It puts checks and balances in place to ensure consistency. It continually seeks ways to improve. It makes sure that staff members always know what their responsibilities are.
You can get international quality kudos, encourage new business, meet customer requirements and enhance customer satisfaction, improve efficiency, reduce waste and, in general, improve your company.
There are many ways to meet the standard requirements, with plenty of flexibility of the ways to meet the end goal.
Ultimately, taking steps to get ISO 9001 certification lets you level up your business and get recognition for having a quality organization.
In addition to creating international standards, ISO also publishes a number of technical-related materials.
Technical reports, identified by the initials TR, detail useful data that has been collected but isn’t typically included in a standard.
Technical specifications, identified by the initials TS, may be published when a standard is still being developed.
Technical corrigenda are usually temporary provisions, used to modify existing standards until they are updated or removed. They are commonly made to correct minor technical errors or to improve usability.
For an individual, ISO means they can have full confidence that a product or service is good quality, reliable and safe.
Similarly, for a company, ISO means they can rest assured that their suppliers, manufacturers, service providers etc. meet defined standards … again, related to quality, safety and reliability.
There’s a further benefit for companies in that ISO builds consumer confidence. Whether supplying goods or services and whether supplying to another company or the end user, ISO makes a business more credible, trustworthy and reputable, which in turn can create more business opportunities.
For everyone, ISO helps to make the planet safer. It protects people and the world. It creates economic gains.
It’s clear that being ISO certified is a major benefit for any business.
But how can you get certified?
Contact Glacier Consulting to discuss ISO certification.
Experts take you through each step of the way, breaking down the requirements into simple and manageable steps that are easy to achieve.
You’ll see how to make ISO work for your business and how to reap the many benefits that ISO brings.
Affordable and quality solutions are within easy reach!