All you need to know about ISO Certification? Why does it matter?

All you need to know about ISO Certification? Why does it matter?

Any business that wants to compete and survive in the market needs to adhere to standard quality parameters. International standards help to keep a level playing field, and one such organization is ISO. International Standard Orgnaioanto is one of the most trusted organization when it comes to quality standards. Any company which is into manufacturing or service must have ISO certification. It shows that the product or service is as per international standard and is of the best quality.

What is the ISO Certification?

ISO certification is a mark of quality assurance for any process or service. This is a standard parameter specified by ISO and is applicable across the different nations of the world. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a non-governmental, independent and international organization that develops standards that are a mark of quality, safety, and efficient or a product, system or service.

Coming to the usage of ISO certification, the certification exists in differing industries like medical devices, manufacturing companies, energy management, and social responsibility. It is a mark of consistency of the quality of products. ISO certification is classified numerically.

ISO publishes more than 21,000 standards across different areas like food safety management, health and safety. Here is the classification of the ISO certification :

ISO 14001 – Environmental Management- Any company working in the field of environmental management needs to have this certification.

ISO 27001 – Information security Management. It ensures that the company have products and service, which meets customer’s need.

• ISO 31000 – Risk management- It showcases that the company can manage risk, which can otherwise have a negative impact.

ISO 22008 – Food Safety Management, and so on. This is given to the companies working in the food sector.

Some of the other ISO certifications are as follows:

• ISO 10002 – Compliant Management System
• ISO 26000 – Social Responsibility
• SA 8000 – Social accountability
• SO/IEC 17025 – Testing and calibration laboratories
• SO 13485 – Medical devices
• ISO 639 – Language codes

There are other certifications as well. Based on the kind of business vertical, you must apply for the respective certification. In any case, ISO certification is a must, thus ensuring the quality of the system.

How does ISO certification benefit your organization?

If you want your company to compete on a global platform, it is important that it should have ISO certification, which showcases that the company follows stringent quality parameters and can be trusted. Here are some of the benefits of ISO certification :

¥ It saves time by finding out the cause of the recurring problem

¥ It helps in improving the system and enhance the system’s efficiency

¥ Ensures customer satisfaction

¥ Is a guarantee of the quality of product or services

¥ Makes your company more competitive

¥ Getting more value out of resources.

Choosing ISO Certification authorities

If you are planning to apply for ISO certification, then you must know that ISO doesn’t give the certification, rather, it’s the external authorities who will be judging the standards and assigning the certificate. Hence, it becomes important that you must choose the right assigning authority. Here is what you need to consider :

1. You must first check the different ISO certification authorities
2. See if they follow CASCO standards. The latter is the ISO works along with ISO.
3. You must check if the certifying authority is accredited or not.

Cost involved

There is a certain cost associated with ISO certification. But it is not fixed. The cost cares from company to company. The cost of ISO certification depends on different factors like:

1. Number of employees
2. Level of risk associated with the scope of services offered by the company
3. Number of processes
4. How complex is the management system
5. Number of working shifts.

How much time does it take for ISO certification?

The time required for complete processing of ISO certification varies, for a different organization, the time required are as following :

Small organizations: 6-8 months

Medium sizes organization: 8-12 months

Large Organization: 12-15 months.

Conclusion- We can conclude that ISO certification is a must for any organization that wishes to assure their user about the quality of services offered by them. You must apply for this certification if you wish to compete in the global market.