The international organisation for standardisation, or ISO, is an international network of several national standards agencies world-wide. ISO is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards in various fields. ISO 9000 is a set of standards dealing with quality management systems commonly referred to as QMS.
The ISO 9000 standards are developed such that they are applicable to any type of organisation, whether it is a small business or a large corporation, a non-governmental or administrative body, or a service or product based company. In order to be able to procure an ISO 9000 certification, an organisation needs to meet a set of clearly stated criteria, related to quality management systems. These criteria are known as ISO 9001.
These standards have now been globally adopted and while they are not accepted everywhere, they are the most widely accepted international standards for quality assurance. There are a number of benefits to adopting ISO 9000 standards. An ISO qualified company is likely to inspire more confidence than one that is not, which is why more and more companies are investing in an accreditation.
Adoption of a standardised system not only makes an organisation more acceptable in the global market, it also helps improve performance, increase efficiency and creates new business. For instance, when it comes to tenders and contracts, companies with an ISO certification tend to have a far better standing that those that do not. Also, investors are likely to feel more confident about a business that is ISO certified than one that isn’t.
While ISO develops the actual standards, certification is not provided by ISO itself. There are local certifying agencies that handle applications, for a fee. National accreditation bodies are usually put in place to make sure certifying agencies are qualified to do the job. In the UK, this body is known as UKAS, or the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. UKAS ensures the credibility of certifying agencies. It is always advisable to apply for an ISO certification through an agency that is UKAS accredited. This ensures impartial and authentic service from the certifying body.
The process of certification comprises of audits. These are designed to evaluate the performance of QMS within a company and include inspection of all aspects of a company. Upon making an application, there is usually an initial audit to gather data about current standards. Following this, if required, there is a gap analysis. This is a report on gaps between prescribed standards and current standards, and the systemic changes required to fill them. Audits are performed until the company meets all the necessary standards.
In order to continue the ISO certification, it is of course important to maintain the same or higher standards within the company. Continuing certification is obtained by means of an annual audit.
ISO standards are a great way of meeting a globally accepted standard of quality. This applies to companies and organisations of any kind. The benefits of having ISO 9000 recognition are many and varied, including increase in sales, growth in business, as well as improved internal efficiency and savings.