WHAT IS ISO

ISO originated from the union of two organisations the ISO (International Federation
of the National Standardizing Associations) and the UNSCC (United Nations Standard
Coordinating Committee).
In 1946 over 25 countries met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London to create a
new international organisation, where the objective was to facilitate the international
coordination and unification of industrial standards From this the new organisation ISO
began operations in February 1947. The word ISO is derived from the Greek ISOS
meaning equal.
As the International Organization for Standardization would translate differently across
different languages it was decided that the short form name for the organisation would
be ISO.
Today the ISO has grown to a confederation of delegates representing over 150
countries and has published over 16,500 international standards. They meet on a regular
basis to further develop new and existing management standards.
Benefits of Certification
Each standard supports its own benefits within every industry, however the common
benefits across the certifications include: widened market potential, compliance to
procurement tenders, improved efficiency and cost savings, higher level of customer
service, and therefore satisfaction, and heightened staff moral and motivation.
By having a recognised management standard it tells your customers that you are
serious about their needs.
WHY OBTAIN ISO CERTIFICATION?
There are three main reasons why companies adopt an ISO management system:

To increase success on public and private tenders

To improve internal efficiency and reduce costs
Subliminal marketing by showing our logo on your marketing you prove to your
prospective clients you are credible.

Is ISO Certification right for our company?

Are there any areas of your business you would like to improve?
Would you like to save time and money on recurring problems by resolving them
permanently first time round?
 Would you like to tender for contracts within your sector?
Would you like better utilisation of your time though improved resource management?
Would you like to enhance the customer/supplier relationship by responding pro-
actively to customer feedback?
Would you like to see an improvement in your internal efficiency?
Would you like to potentially reduce company on-going permit and insurance fees?

If you can answer yes to any of the above questions ISO Certification may be for
you.

Six Core Principles of ISO Certification

Document Control
Issuing a document with a reference and version number to ensure that the right
document, is in the right place, at the right time.

Record Control
A record is a completed document (see above). Record control is an efficient
method of finding individual records. It can also refer to how you file, remove,
archive and destroy individual records.

Internal Review
An in-depth review of your management system, to ensure you are on track for
your end of year validation audit. This also ensures the company satisfies internal
audit requirements laid out in the standard.

Non-Conformance
A non-conformance is when something happens within the business that wasnt
planned. This could be: Internal E.g Out of date process / procedure, human error
etc. External E.g Customer complaints, supplier issues etc.

Corrective Action
A plan created by management to rectify a non-conformance (see above), and to
prevent it from recurring

Preventative Action
An action to clarify and address potential risks to the business, with a view to
reduce future non-conformances.
ISO CERTIFICATION IS A SEAL OF APPROVAL FROM AN EXTERNAL
BODY WHEREBY A COMPANY COMPLIES TO ONE OF THE
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED ISO MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.