How important is ISO today?
ISO has grown from its Civil Engineering roots. It currently covers almost 30,000 standards. They cover everything from quality and food safety to information security and manufacturing standards.
The simple shipping container is the most easily recognized symbol of standardization. It was not developed by ISO. Conforming to this standard allowed shipbuilders, vehicle manufacturers and handling agents to use one set of dimensions.
Who is ISO suitable for?
You will need to put in a lot of effort to obtain certification. It is necessary to obtain certification through an accredited certification organization. Additionally, there are strict regulatory requirements. Organisations with less than 15 people would not be eligible for certification unless the industry is specifically addressed or for a contractual reason. But, it is still beneficial to follow the principles of the standard in all organizations.
What are the five most widely used ISO standards?
ISO Certification Australia has many thousands of international standards covering dozens of industries. However, not all standards fall within these limits. Let’s have a look at five common standards.
ISO 9001 Quality Management
This cornerstone document is what organisations need to have. The most current version is ISO 9001.2015. You can only become certified in ISO 9001.
This standard applies to many industries. Aerospace uses AS9100D. While the process and procedures of business will be contained in a system of some kind, sometimes referred to by QMS (Quality Management System), in principle this standard can:
You must ensure that the products or services offered are consistent with your requirements.
Put in place a monitoring system that evaluates the effectiveness and outputs of the quality management program. This will include processes and procedures to stop non-conforming products and/or services from being exported.
Assure that there are clear roles and responsibilities for the management structure and the activities it contains. Make sure that all stakeholders and top management are responsible for what is produced.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management
This standard is compatible well with ISO 9001 as well as other quality management systems. Some organisations don’t have an Environmental Management System (EMS) but instead integrate it into their Quality Management System. (QMS), and call it an Integrated Management System. The standard’s primary function is to:
- Meet legal obligations
- Improve resource efficiency
- Reduce waste
- Reduce environmental impact
- Reduce risk
- Reduce costs
ISO 45001 Safety and Health
ISO 45001 was launched in 2018. It is based on OHSAS18001. This document contains the fundamental elements of ISO 9001. Its primary function is:
- Reduce occupational injuries, and diseases
- Promoting and protecting physical and mental health
Information Security ISO 27001
Modern workplaces and personal lives place a lot more information in paper and electronic systems.
Confidentiality refers to allowing only an authorized person access to relevant information.
Information Integrity- To ensure only authorized, trained personnel can change records.
Availability – information to be available to authorized persons on demand.
ISO 27001 focuses even more than ISO 9001 on risk and risk-based reasoning.
ISO 44001 Collaborative Work
A project was often designed and built by one organization in the past. Companies are becoming more globalized and specialised. This means that many projects can use multiple entities to deliver their output. ISO 44001 helps to manage, establish and implement agreed working methods. ISO 44001 focuses on the core clauses of ISO 9001, the quality management principles.
- Planning, identifying other benefits and developing a business strategy
- Constructing a high-quality model
- Developing value
- Communication and awareness
- The relationship management and monitoring
