Quality control is paramount for any industry. It not only ensures that the end product adheres to the highest quality standards, but at the same time it also helps in building the trust of customer and stakeholders in the brand. Any company that has got the ISO certification exudes the fact that they have stringent quality control measures to assure the maintenance of the quality of product, and at the same time assuring good hygiene for the people who are working.
To explain it to you in simple words, the International Organization for Standardization is an organization that put forward the standards -22,000 and more for various services, goods and even services. These standards are the benchmarks for quality and efficiency in different industries. This is mostly relates to supply chain and manufacturing industry.
Different Types of ISO Certification
If you enquire about ISO certification, then you wold come across that there are different types of ISO certifications, and based on the business niche, the company has to apply for a similar certification program. Here we will be enumerating the different types of ISO certification:
ISO 14001:2004– It is the basis of improvement of an environmental management framework or EMS.
ISO 14004:2004– It gives a more accurate data for execution and maintenance of an EMS. This standard is apt for any industry.
ISO 5001– It has not yet been published, but this standard would regulate energy management.
Safety and Healthcare
The following certifications are pertinent to the safety and healthcare industry:
ISO 22000: It sets the rule for food security and handling.
IWA 1:2005: It lays rules related to healthcare association in order to respond to natural calamities and man-made calamities.
ISO 9001:2000– It regulates quality management in medical device industry.
Transportation
ISO/TS 16949– This takes into account all the aspects of supply network of the automotive industry.
ISO/PAS 30003:2008– It is related to certain aspects of transportation and marine technology. It focusses on certain aspects of this industry like recycling management, and ship recycling, etc.
ISO 31000– It covers risk management. It enumerates all the standards and general regulations on risk management.
ISO 14000 – It sets standards that manage environmental management system. It emphasizes on standards that companies must adhere to; these are the international environmental laws.
ISO 9000 – It manages quality management. It manages what a business needs to meet the client’s needs, and fulfil administrative necessities. This is the most popular ISO certification that guarantees the authenticity and credibility of a company.
Now that you know about the different types of ISO certifications, let’s understand the steps to achieve the same.
Steps for ISO Certification
Step 1: Pre-Assessment– This stage is designed for companies that will be applying for the certification process for the first time. The pre-assessment stage is performed as per the need. The company going for the certification process must have all the process and standards predefined such that the certification and approval process becomes easier.
Step 2: Stage 1 Audit– Once the pre-assessment is done, the next step is that of auditing. This stage decodes whether your company is ready to go ahead for stage 2 or not. The companies can either do the work themselves, or you can hire the services of professional legal firms that can assess the policies and procedures. After the through assessment of all the policies, we can decide whether the company is ready to proceed ahead for the certification or not.
Step 3: Stage 2 Audit- This is done to check the conformance of the system whether it is relevant to the ISO standard or not. The services of a legal firm will help in performing the right test and assessment of the policies and procedures like inspection, interviews and observation of the process. After completion of this process, it is finally determined whether the company is ready to be certified. In case there is any non-conformity assessed at this stage, it is remediated before final application for ISO certification.
Stage 4: Surveillance Audit– Merely availing ISO certification is not enough. To continue being an ISO certified organisation, it is paramount that your company must stick to the quality standards set by the ISO. As an organisation, your focus should be on enhancing productivity; here a good legal advisory firm will help in gauging whether your company is continuing to work as per the ISO standards. They conduct annual surveillance to ensure conformity with the ISO standard.
Stage 5: Recertification– The ISO certification is valid for a period of 3 years, from the date of issuance or certification. The company must be ready to reapply for certification before it gets over. The recertification process is different from the certification process. The company has to straightaway go for certification without pre-assessment. However, for recertification, it is paramount that your company must be continuously following all the standard set by the ISO.
Getting Started with ISO
This would have given you a gander into the ISO certification process, and how does a good legal firm can help you in achieving the same. Today, it has become paramount that your company must have this certification which can provide assurance of quality and guarantees credibility to both the stakeholders and the consumer.
