ISO-International Standard Organization

In a global marketplace, checks and balances need to be in place. Otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain consistency and quality across industries and nations. Any business that wants to compete and survive in the market needs to adhere to standard quality parameters. One such organization is ISO. International standards help to keep a level playing field on a global level. 

ISO certification certifies that a management system, manufacturing process, service, or documentation procedure has all the requirements for standardization and quality assurance. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental, international organization that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems.

ISO certifications exist in many areas of industry, from energy management and social responsibility to medical devices and energy management. ISO standards are in place to ensure consistency. Each certification has separate standards and criteria and is classified numerically. ISO 9001 certification in India is more important to obtain when you want to establish your company in a more prosperous way. ISO 9001 of the International Organization for Standardization comes under the Quality Management System (QMS).

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

• ISO 14001– Environmental Management- Any Company working in the field of environmental management needs to have the business certified.
• ISO 27001– Information security Management. It ensures that the company has products and service, which meets the 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. 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. It also helps as a marketing tool as the customer will be ensured of highest standards of operations.

 

Why ISO certification is vital?

The ISO certification in India has many benefits like it improves product quality, business efficiency, build credibility internationally, easy marketability and lots more.

 

• Increased Credibility and Recognition: The International Organization for Standardization issues the ISO certification, which is accepted around the world. Therefore, an ISO certification increases the value of your company against your competitors as well as increases your status among your clients.
• Increased Revenues: Since your company is ISO certified, it means your quality has been testified. Therefore, you can use this as an advertising point and price your products accordingly. Having more quality products will also help you gain more customers.
• Improved Consistency: ISO 9001 helps you increase the control of your business processes and the more you control your business, the more your consistency increases. Increased consistency means your customers are getting the same service or same products every time they are making business with you.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Customers will know that your products and services will always have quality and that, they will work. They will know what to expect from you. Therefore, you will get less complaints and more satisfied customers.
• Empowered Employees: ISO certification requires you to maintain the training and development of your staff. Also, it provides the necessary tools for them to do their jobs such as procedures, instructions and metrics. As a result, your employees will be more knowledgeable of their tasks and how those work within the company. And since their training will continue, their careers will continue improve.

 

Choosing ISO Certification authorities

If you are planning to apply for the certification, then you must know that ISO doesn’t give the certification. Moreover, there are a number of external authorities that judge the standards and assign the certificate if the company is compliant. Hence, it becomes important that you must choose the right assigning authority. Hence, here is what you need to consider:

• You have to search the different ISO standard authorities first
• See if they follow CASCO standards.
• Indeed you must check if the certifying authority is accredited or not

The cost:

There is a certain cost associated with ISO certification. But it is not fixed. In fact, the cost varies from company to company. Therefore, the cost depends on different factors like:

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

Documents required for ISO certification-

• Company profile
• Company letterhead
• Copy of sales and Purchase bill
• Company address proof
• Company Pan card
• Company visiting card

How much time does it take for the certification?

The time required for complete processing of ISO certification varies from one company to another. Therefore, the time required may vary from 1 week to 12 months depending on the size of the organization and type of certification being provided:

• Small organizations: 6-8 months
• Medium sizes organization: 8-12 months
• Large Organization: 12-15 months.

Conclusion

We can say that ISO certification is a must for any organization that wishes to assure its clients about the quality of services offered by it. However, you must apply for this certification if you wish to compete in the global market. In fact, many MNCs do not offer projects to companies that do not adhere to ISO or if they don’t have an ISO certification. If you have a small company and you intend to take big projects, an ISO certificate will surely increase your chances of landing up with the project.