Fundamental Information to Know When Seeking ISO Accreditation
Many businesses and organisations rely on ISO standards for quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and market expansion. It is a major tool that makes a business to be more transparent and visible to the public.
What is the ISO accreditation?
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is an international organisation that is responsible for developing international standards for organisations/businesses that regulate, control, and evaluate the operations of the business.
ISO accreditation is the awarding of a certificate by one of the certification bodies that are in operation with the ISO to businesses and organisations when they have met all the requirements as specified.
The process of acquiring an ISO certification is a bit complex, and you should be careful with every step you take to avoid being delayed because of some unclear information.
What are some of the ISO standards?
There are many ISO standards, and each of them is concerned with a different and distinct aspect of the organisation. Atlas Certification offers ISO accreditation:
- ISO 9000
It deals with quality management in a company. The ISO 9000 series provides specifications to companies on the guidelines to follow to ensure quality is achieved. Quality ensures customer satisfaction, retention, loyalty, and many other benefits.
- ISO/ ISEC 27000
It is concerned with Information Security Management Systems. It is a standard that ensures the company’s crucial information such as customer’s data, supplier’s information, employee’s data, intellectual property, and many others are well kept, and the three pillars of information are always met, i.e., integrity, availability, and confidentiality.
ISO/ ISEC 27000 is very crucial in an organisation, especially with the rise in cybercrime threats.
- ISO 14000
ISO 14000 deals with environmental conservation and management. The ISO 14000 family series provides specifications for companies on how to manage their environmental responsibility. It is usually linked to environmental systems.
- ISO 31000
ISO 31000 deals with risk assessment and management in an organisation. It outlines a framework for identifying risk, assessing the risk, and finally managing the risk. Risks should be identified and contained at early stages before they strike the business and cause huge losses.
- ISO 5000
ISO 5000 family series deals with energy management and conservation. The standard also takes into account the need to reduce pollution and increase energy production efficiency.
- ISO 26000
ISO 26000 provides a set of guidelines on social responsibility and provides a framework for how the business should take to meet social responsibility.
- ISO 45000
It provides guidelines on occupational safety, health, and insurance. It mainly addresses employees in terms of a safe working environment, compensation in case of early termination, cover when employees get injured or ill in the line of duty, and many others.
Any organisation that deals in commercial value should be in the process of acquiring ISO accreditation since you cannot do many things when you have not yet acquired the certification. It affects all the stakeholders of a business: a customer will need proof of certification to be assured of the quality of the product, other businesses will need it to trust your business operation before they can have any sort of deal with you, suppliers may need it to ensure that they are dealing with a legal and verified business who will not bring problems in future.