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About ISO ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards.

ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. Therefore, ISO enables a consensus to be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society.

ISO's name Because "International Organization for Standardization" would have different acronyms in different languages ("IOS" in English, "OIN" in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation), its founders decided to give it also a short, all-purpose name. They chose "ISO", derived from the Greek isos, meaning "equal". Whatever the country, whatever the language, the short form of the organization's name is always ISO.

Why standards matter Standards make an enormous and positive contribution to most aspects of our lives. Standards ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability - and at an economical cost. When products and services meet our expectations, we tend to take this for granted and be unaware of the role of standards. However, when standards are absent, we soon notice. We soon care when products turn out to be of poor quality, do not fit, are incompatible with equipment that we already have, are unreliable or dangerous.

When products, systems, machinery and devices work well and safely, it is often because they meet standards. And the organization responsible for many thousands of the standards which benefit the world is ISO.

ISO standards: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental network of national agencies whose purpose is the development of international standards for business and government. International standards are designed for trade between countries. They provide a technological base and a system of best management practices. Standards ensure safe products and organizational procedures that reduce environmental impact. Standards benefit trade and business by simplifying procedures and reducing an organization's environmental risk. Consumers benefit by the knowledge that state-of-the-art practices are developed for global relevancy.

1. Environmental Management ISO 14001:2004. This ISO standard is the basis of development of an environmental management system (EMS). An EMS is a set of guidelines and procedures developed by an organization to ensure compliance. An EMS benefits an organization by increasing environmental awareness and investigating ways to reduce its costs. ISO 14004:2004. This ISO standard provides more specific information for implementation and maintenance of an EMS, with the aim to continually improve the plan based on its performance. The standard is applicable to any industry. ISO 5001. This yet-to-be-released standard will address energy management and ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact of organizations. It will consider technical and topical issues, such as climate change and dependence on foreign oil.

2. Health and Safety ISO 22000. This ISO standard sets global guidelines for food safety and handling. Major corporations have embraced this standard, including Arla Foods and Kraft Foods. Its aim

is to focus on the entire food chain and reduce hazards and safety issues such as foodborne illnesses. IWA 1:2005. This standard addresses issues in the healthcare sector. It provides guidelines for health care organizations to respond to natural and manmade disasters. Specifically, the standard gives recommendations for reducing error and organizational waste, while embracing a customer-centric framework. ISO 9001:2000. This standard addresses quality management in the medical device industry. It specifically provides suggestions and guidelines for industries involved in the development, production, and installation of these devices. The standard also considers continual monitoring within the industry.

3. Transportation ISO/TS 16949. This standard reviews all areas of the automotive industry supply chain. It concentrates on areas of training, monitoring, analysis and improvements within the industry. The standard also focuses on ways for suppliers to reduce their costs and improve efficiency. ISO/PAS 30003:2008. This standard looks at specific concerns within shipping and marine technology. It focuses on areas, such as ship recycling management and other material handling, that can have potential environmental impacts. It addresses industryspecific concerns such as hazardous materials and asbestos emission.

Who standards benefit ISO standards provide technological, economic and societal benefits. For businesses, the widespread adoption of International Standards means that suppliers can develop and offer products and services meeting specifications that have wide international acceptance in their sectors. Therefore, businesses using International Standards can compete on many more markets around the world. For innovators of new technologies, International Standards on aspects like terminology, compatibility and safety speed up the dissemination of innovations and their development into manufacturable and marketable products.

For customers, the worldwide compatibility of technology which is achieved when products and services are based on International Standards gives them a broad choice of offers. They also benefit from the effects of competition among suppliers. For governments, International Standards provide the technological and scientific bases underpinning health, safety and environmental legislation. For trade officials, International Standards create "a level playing field" for all competitors on those markets. The existence of divergent national or regional standards can create technical barriers to trade. International Standards are the technical means by which political trade agreements can be put into practice. For developing countries, International Standards that represent an international consensus on the state of the art are an important source of technological know-how. By defining the characteristics that products and services will be expected to meet on export markets, International Standards give developing countries a basis for making the right decisions when investing their scarce resources and thus avoid squandering them. For consumers, conformity of products and services to International Standards provides assurance about their quality, safety and reliability. For everyone, International Standards contribute to the quality of life in general by ensuring that the transport, machinery and tools we use are safe. For the planet we inhabit, International Standards on air, water and soil quality, on emissions of gases and radiation and environmental aspects of products can contribute to efforts to preserve the environment.

The scope of ISO's work ISO has more than 18 500 International Standards and other types of normative documents in its current portfolio. ISO's work programme ranges from standards for traditional activities, such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical engineering, manufacturing and distribution, to transport, medical devices, information and communication technologies, and to standards for good management practice and for services.

What's different about ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 The vast majority of ISO standards are highly specific to a particular product, material, or process. However, ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment) are "generic management system standards". "Generic" means that the same standard can be applied to any organization, large or small, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public administration, or a government department. ISO 9001 contains a generic set of requirements for implementing a quality management system and ISO 14001 for an environmental management system. Generic standards can be applied to any organization.

Advantages of ISO standards Significance

ISO standards contribute more to a company's economic sustainability than ever before. An increasing number of manufacturers and business customers will not even do business with a supplier that is not ISO certified.

Efficiency The process of becoming ISO certified forces you to objectively analyze your current internal processes, and can result in the implementation of more efficient and costeffective production processes. ISO-certified production processes reduce waste, redundancies and safety hazards while ensuring that your business is environmentally friendly. These facts taken together not only reduce direct operating costs, but can also prevent financially damaging legal actions against your company.

International Business Reliability and trust in international business relationships is an ever-present concern. With so much distance between companies on opposite sides of the world, it is difficult to truly ascertain whether your suppliers are following safe, humane and responsible business practices. ISO certification is a way to ensure your international business partners that your company adheres to international standards, and by the same token can reassure you that your foreign suppliers are credible and reliable as well.

Marketing ISO certification can enhance your company's image and reputation in your industry and can provide many powerful marketing opportunities. Adherence to ISO standards will give you the right to market your business as environmentally friendly, which is an increasingly popular allure to consumers and business customers alike. According to www.sis.pitt.edu, many consumers are willing to pay premium prices for products that are manufactured in an environmentally friendly way. Advertising your certification status to international customers can provide opportunities in global markets that otherwise would not exist. You can also consider passing a portion of your cost savings on to your customers, allowing you to offer your goods and services at consistently lower prices than your non-certified competitors.

Profit All of the advantages of achieving ISO certification ultimately contribute to your bottom line. Profits can be increased through the efficiency and legal safety of certified business processes. New international customers can be added to your client base due to the enhanced image that ISO certification provides.

ISO's structure

Five Steps for Obtaining ISO Certification

1. Match your organization to the ISO certification that best fits its focus and customer base. Obtaining ISO certification requires a significant investment of a company's time and resources. Management should carefully assess which certification to pursue by determining which ISO standards are commonly required by their target customers; the level of resources and time required to create, document and implement the necessary processes and procedures; and the costs associated with achieving and maintaining ISO certification. ISO 9000, which addresses quality management standards, and ISO 14000, which incorporates standards related to how a company's practices minimize harmful effects to the environment, are the most popular ISO standards. ISO also has a number of certifications for specific industry sectors, including agriculture, food technology, oil and gas, shipbuilding and others.

2. Learn the required standards for your desired ISO certification. Companies can purchase detailed information on the requirements for each ISO certification from the ISO website. Many companies also hire ISO consultants to assist them in developing and implementing a program to obtain ISO certification.

3. Develop and complete the necessary documentation to meet ISO certification standards. What this usually means for most companies is the development of detailed procedure and policy manuals that document a company's processes and procedures for handling quality and management issues, such as inventory control, customer fulfillment and organization charts.

4. Management and employees should receive training on ISO standards. Train management and employees on ISO standards and conduct an internal audit.

5.Schedule a certification audit with an accredited ISO register. Most experts advise choosing a reputable ISO registrar who is located close to your facility to reduce travel expenses.

ISO 9001 ISO 9001 standards have been published for the first time in 1987. Then, it was revised in the years 1994, 2000 and most recently in 2008. Thus, it is known as ISO 9001:2008. Therefore, the previous versions obsolete. The goal of the quality management system based on ISO 9001 standards is to menampil or provide products consistently meet customer requirements and thus increase their satisfaction. ISO 9001 provides requirements and specific controls for the four existing elements in any organization, whether public or private organizations. The elements are: Management responsibilities resource management production Measurement, analysis and continuous improvement

Within the scope of ISO 9001, the term product refers to the physical product and service products. ISO 9001 standard does not provide any requirements for an organization to register the quality management system with any certification body such as SIRIM QAS and others.

ISO 9001 standards are based on eight quality management principles: Quality management system should focus on the customer Organizational leadership must lead proactively The participation of human resources should occur at all levels The implementation process in which all the input, interaction and output is controlled and supervised Implementation of the system approach where all relevant processes to be controlled and supervised The process of continuous improvement must be implemented Management decisions should be based on solid facts

Developing relationships with suppliers that are beneficial to both parties.

From these eight principles, ISO 9001 standards are developed. The benefits from the implementation of ISO 9001 quality management system are: Establish system of effective control and supervision of all internal processes as fundamental as human resource management, infrastructure, work environment, internal communication, audit, monitoring and performance measurement processes, marketing and sales, product design, purchasing and production. Raise the standard of quality management to international organizations Enable the organization trying to get new customers and penetrate new markets, whether in domestic and international Increasing profitability through improved customer satisfaction and lower operating costs when the internal processes more effective and efficient through improvements in internal efficiency Dispose of or eliminate internal waste caused by errors and delays Improve employee satisfaction and morale through the elimination of problems related Improving places and working environment Improving levels of satisfaction in dealing with suppliers Improve customer satisfaction Improve the level of compliance with any legal requirements in connection with the product. The quality of your products will be confirmed when the product meets the criteria specified by you and your clients receive positive feedback in the form of full marks from customers. Terms of products and services include physical products.

Documents required by ISO 9001:2008 Quality Manual Six Quality Procedures Quality Policy Quality Objectives Process Flowchart Work Instructions

The best ISO 9001 documentation combines the Quality Manual and Quality Procedures into a single, user-friendly document.

Who needs ISO 9001 Training All Employees: Overview/Introduction to ISO 9001 Management: Executive overview of ISO 9001 ISO 9001 Management Rep: Intensive Training in ISO 9001 Requirements Internal ISO 9001 Auditor(s): Intensive Training in ISO 9001 Requirements and Auditing Methods

How to Get ISO 9001 Certified The ISO 9001 certification validates a company's quality management system. ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. Certification is given to companies that are registered with ISO and have had an internal or external audit of their internal procedures. The ISO 9001 certification is internationally recognized. ISO 9001 is beneficial to companies in most industries. High-tech, engineering, manufacturing, law and finance companies can all benefit from having a standard, quality management system. Obtaining the certification validates a company's ability to properly serve its clients through a recognized quality management system.

1. Purchase and download the ISO management process documents for the ISO 9001 certification from the ISO website. The "Quality Management Systems Requirements" product offered by ISO can be downloaded in English, French, Russian, Arabic and Spanish. The most current version of the "Quality Management Systems Requirements" is ISO 9001: 2008.

2. Read the ISO 9001 "Quality Management Systems Requirements" PDF files. It is important for all members of management to read and understand the ISO 9001 requirements. The requirements for ISO 9001 include quality tracking systems for internal procedures such as accounting, staffing, employee relations and file management. It also includes quality management processes for customer accounts, sales tracking and service or product delivery.

3. Implement the processes put forth in the ISO "Quality Management Systems Requirements" files. There should be processes for both internal employees' daily activities as well as for customer satisfaction. Management should be prepared for a lengthy transition process. It is important to not rush the process. ISO 9001 quality management processes also will show managers how to implement a sales and client tracking system. This system can help companies increase and maintain high customer satisfaction. For example, a sales database will require a sales account manager to create a file within the database for each customer. The file will track every order, when it was processed and when it was received. The database also will track all communication between the sales account manager and the customer.

4. Create an internal audit system to ensure all internal processes are being met. The internal audit can be conducted by an internal audit team, the organization's management, or it can be outsourced to consultants. The audit team will need to be provided with a detailed manual of all processes put in place by management through the ISO 9001 system. Auditors should know managers' expectations and be able to recognize if those expectations have been met, or are on track to be met.

5. File your audit results with ISO to obtain the official ISO 9001: 2008 certificate of conformity. This certificate can be used as a sales tool to let potential and existing customers know your company conforms to the international management standards put forth by ISO.

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