What is the Process of ISO Certification and How It is Helpful?

--By Wasif Ahmed--

Introduction

Organizations irrespective of their size aim for revenue generation & business expansion in order to achieve it, building client trust & having a long-term customer relationship is really important.

But before we get into “How to get an ISO Certification”, we should understand What is ISO & why we need it?

What is ISO?

ISO stands for (International organization for standardization) is a non-governmental organization located in Geneva, Switzerland.

There are 162 countries with more than 750 technical bodies as members of ISO. They have published & provided more than 21000 Standards in different domains & sectors for regulating business practices.

Why ISO?

Organizations worldwide want to create a cycle of continual improvement with proper leadership & commitment in order to manage their processes to become more efficient and cost-effective.

ISO management system provides organizations a framework along with real strategic value; help them in improving their performance & processes which are aligned with corporate goals & objectives.

It also helps the organization in improving the way it operates, by increasing market share, driving down costs, managing risk more effectively, enhanced customer satisfaction, and motivating staff or continual improvement.

Continual improvement with high-quality output results in less rejected work & fewer complaints which will eventually increase the brand image & can open up more opportunities in the marketplace.

Process of ISO standard implementation:

1. Gap Analysis:

Review of the existing system covering (policies, infrastructure, culture, processes, procedures, and practices).

2. Awareness Session:

Provide Training to develop skills & knowledge required for smooth operational deployment in an effective & efficient manner.

3. Process Identification & Creation:

Develop policies & procedure to provide a roadmap & obtain consistency in day to day operations.

4. Implementation of the documented process:

Deploy & implement policies & procedures to achieve operational goals & objectives.

5. Internal Audit:

Conduct Internal Assessment to capture the deviations & ensure the readiness for the certification audit.

6. Management Review:

Conduct management meetings as per the standard agenda to discuss the deviations & areas of improvement.

7. Certification Audit (Stage 1 & Stage 2):

Verify conformance of documents & implementation of processes against the standard requirements.

The process for ISO standard implementation within the organization can be done in seven simple steps mentioned above.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, ISO Certificates are becoming the initial level certificate for on-boarding international clients, government tenders. Organization (big or small) looking for revenue generation, business expansion & increase in credibility they must obtain a suitable ISO certification.