ISO Certification

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide industry management system connecting quality measurements to specifications for businesses providing services or products. The main reason ISO has become so popular is its effective use of quality system standards, and its ability to be used in all types of manufacturing and service companies. This single standard recognition allows companies to do business globally ensuring consistency and compliance of a product because it’s been built and tested based on the ISO defined standards.

The ISO system works to decrease errors by outlining precise instructions, ensuring all activities are planned according to a predetermined outcome. The systems also has the ability to detect errors that happen no matter how much control is in place, implementing a method for prevention of recurrence. The errors can be related to technical, unacceptable materials or human error; the standards are intended to identify the mistake before it reaches final stage of production or the customer.

Implementing an ISO quality system in an organization means the company has adapted this level of standard for all manufactured and marketable products. The standards are divided into specific work and production phases containing controls and servicing requirements. 9001 includes the how to use the standards, and older version had 9001 and 9002 as separate levels.

ISO 9001 is the most popular level of ISO used today and companies designing and manufacturing products internally are certified. ISO 9001 contains all of the requirements including the design controls and servicing specifications. The controls are placed in specific points of production where errors are generally cited such as in-process and final inspections, process controls, trend analysis, quality records and customer complaints.

ISO 14001 is the environmental management system for an organization. Due to the variables of companies doing business in the environmental industry the levels are not specific, but the execution of functions use the key elements stated in ISO 14001. It requires the organization to develop an approach to the company’s policy, create a plan to implement the policy and designate specific actions to control the company’s environmental impact. As part of the company’s policy and compliance to the ISO 14001 standard they must abide by environmental legislative requirements mandating continuance towards improvements.

Getting an official stamp of certification is done by a third party or the registrar. The process starts with a review of the company’s quality system; first stage is the quality manual, next is a site audit review to verify the manual is in place and effective. Quality auditors perform the reviews and reports are generated as part of the audit results and documentation. If there are corrective actions the company will need to fix the areas or procedures before the certification is completed. ISO certifications are issued for three years, requiring scheduled surveillance and system audits either semi-annually or annually.