ISO Information

ISO Certification ISO is the International Organization for Standardisation and has a membership of 164 national standards bodies from countries large and small. ISO produce internationally recognised management systems covering many aspects of business. The most well known being; ISO 9001: Quality Management Systems. ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems. ISO 27001: Information Security Management ISO 50001: Energy Management Systems Of these, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, which give the requirements for, respectively, quality management and environmental management systems, are among ISO’s most well-known and widely implemented standards ever. They are used worldwide by businesses and organisations large and small, in public and private sectors, by manufacturers and service providers, in all sectors of activity. ISO and UKAS The United Kingdom Accreditation Service, (UKAS) is the sole national accreditation body recognised by government to assess, against internationally agreed standards, organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services. It is important that Companies seeking certification to international standards are aware that there are Certification Companies who are not validated by UKAS. All validated Companies display the Tick and Crown on their emblem and are monitored by UKAS. Many large organisations that vet certification as a check for accepting Companies onto their bidders’ lists will not approve certificates issued by non-validated organisations. What is the purpose of having certificated systems? There are two important advantages for Companies having ISO certification. The main one being that the Company illustrates to interested parties that its processes and products are subject to control, measurement, analysis and review. It also indicates that the organisation is regularly surveyed by an approved and validated independent certification body and gives some level of confidence to its customers. How difficult is it to gain certification? That depends on the way you go about it! Most organisations do not have the manpower or specialist skills to develop the necessary documentation or systems. As a rough guide it is generally believed that 50% of Companies completing their own documentation, organising implementation, staff familiarisation, etc. will pass first time, but using an experienced Consultant increases these odds to 98% plus. What are the benefits of using a consultant? The experience of a good Consultant will convert the requirements of the ISO Standard into a practical system that minimises paperwork and enhances the operations of the Company, while reducing the overall costs of design, development and implementation of the system. In addition, the experience of the Consultant often adds value to the company by the introduction of best practice. Where can we get advice and assistance? To find out more about the benefits to your Company by obtaining ISO Standards contact Jeff Ayres www.jeffayres.co.uk