| To gain a true competitive advantage in today's | | | | efficiency. The standard requires you to organise |
| market, any business needs the ability to meet | | | | your business as a set of processes and support |
| legislation, truly add value to their customers and | | | | these processes with key principles of customer |
| stakeholders and reduce the risk of losses due to | | | | focus, leadership, involvement of people, analysis of |
| product or service failures, accidents and other | | | | data and developing beneficial supplier relationships. |
| incidents. | | | | Environmental Management |
| The management systems supported by ISO | | | | ISO 14001 is an environmental management system |
| (International Standards Organisation) provide a | | | | that allows you to identify the key impacts that you |
| frame work for you and your organisation to achieve | | | | have on the environment, important legislation and |
| these goals and confidence to all customer and | | | | then set about controlling and improving these |
| stakeholders that you are maintaining standards. | | | | impacts. By implementing the standard, you can lower |
| What Are ISO Standards? | | | | the cost of waste management, save money in |
| The ISO standards are an internationally recognised | | | | energy consumption, lower distribution costs, and |
| set of benchmarks for any organisation. They enable | | | | improve their reputation and image across the |
| you to create and maintain a structured management | | | | business community and society. |
| system with a clearly defined set of processes and | | | | Occupational Health & Safety Management |
| controls to ensure that the ability to meet all | | | | With a focus on your employees, OHSAS 18001 |
| legislation, stakeholder requirements and reduce | | | | systematically assesses hazards and legislation in your |
| business risk is achieved, on an ever improving basis. | | | | business to make sure that you are legal and present |
| ISO standards cover many areas of a business and | | | | the lowest practical risk to your work force. The |
| include: | | | | standard helps you not only to avoid losses involved |
| - ISO 9001 for quality management | | | | with accidents, and time off work but again improves |
| - ISO 14001 for environmental management | | | | your competitive advantage and sets you apart as a |
| - OHSAS 18001 for health and safety management | | | | supplier and employer of choice. |
| Each standard is based on a system of | | | | Gaining an 'Accredited' Certificate |
| 'Plan-Do-Check-Act which means that these essential | | | | Independent certification is important to show that |
| areas for any business can be managed individually or | | | | your system is credible and gives increased |
| integrated to suit the needs of a business. | | | | confidence to your supply chain and stakeholders. It |
| Why go for Certification | | | | also ensures that the standard is maintained internally |
| All these standards can be externally certified by a | | | | and that business losses are reduced and |
| Certification Body which means that your | | | | performance is continuously improved. It is important |
| stakeholders and customers have the confidence | | | | however, that your certificate is awarded by an |
| that the systems will be consistently maintained as | | | | accredited certification body. Simply put, if a |
| long as you hold the certificate. | | | | certification body is not recognised by UKAS (United |
| As a business, you can then use your certification | | | | Kingdom Accreditation Service) then many |
| not only to improve your business but also to: | | | | stakeholders are now refusing to accept the |
| - Promote your organisation as best in class | | | | certificate because there is no proof of independence |
| - Provide a simple way to demonstrate to your | | | | and competence of the assessor. |
| stakeholders your commitment to improvement | | | | So in Conclusion |
| - Give confidence to your supply chain by promoting | | | | Management systems are now well established, and |
| your certification in your website, in tenders and | | | | in the case of ISO 9001, with over 1 million |
| quotations. | | | | certifications in 170 countries, it is almost an |
| Quality Management | | | | expectation. Environmental and Health & Safety |
| The most widely implemented system in the world is | | | | systems are rapidly becoming the way to stand out |
| ISO 9001, which drives an organisation to ensure | | | | from your competition. |
| customer satisfaction and improving internal | | | | |