International Standards Organization (ISO)

International Standards Organization Complete Details

International Standards Organization (ISO) is an independent, non-government body that lays down standards to ensure the quality, efficiency, and safety of products and services. The ISO promotes common - proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards worldwide and also facilitates world trade. When a business has obtained an ISO standard certification, the stakeholders can be assured that the business is well-run and is ready for growth and expansion. It also adds credibility and assures the customers that the product or service meets the required standards. For some industries, certification is a legal or contractual requirement.

Please Note: ISO doesn’t provide certification or conformity assessment. They draft the standards alone. An external ISO certification HSN code body needs to be consulted for the certification process.

In this article, we will elaborate on the:

Popular ISO Standards

1. ISO 9000 FAMILY - QUALITY MANAGEMENT
2. ISO/IEC 27001 - INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT
3. ISO 3166 - COUNTRY CODES
4. ISO 6 - CAMERA FILM SPEED
5. ISO 639 - LANGUAGE CODES
6. ISO 4217 - CURRENCY CODES
7. ISO 8601 - DATE AND TIME FORMAT
8. ISO 9660 - ISO IMAGES FOR COMPUTER FILES
9. ISO 13216 - ISOFIX CHILD SEATS FOR CARS
10. ISO 13485 - MEDICAL DEVICES
11. ISO 14000 FAMILY - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
12. ISO/IEC 17025 - TESTING AND CALIBRATION LABORATORIES
13. ISO 20121 - SUSTAINABLE EVENTS
14. ISO 22000 - FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT
15. ISO 26000 - SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
16. SO 31000 - RISK MANAGEMENT
17. ISO 37001 - ANTI-BRIBERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
18. ISO 45001 - OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
19. ISO 50001 - ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Certification Process

ISO doesn’t issue certificates. However, the ISO's Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO) has produced several standards relating to the certification process, which are used by the certification bodies. While choosing the  ISO certification HSN code body, it is essential to:

• Evaluate several certification bodies
• Check if the certification body uses the relevant CASCO standard
• Verify if it is accredited. Though accreditation is not mandatory, the body must meet the set standards.

The typical steps involved in obtaining the certification are:

Step 1:  The Initial Assessment - Generally, an ISO auditor evaluates the business processes, manuals, documents, etc. and suggests the areas that need improvement, to meet the requirements set by the applicable standard.

Step 2: Preparation for Actions to be taken - Once the ISO auditors communicate their observations, the applicant needs to prepare an action to bridge the gaps (if any). At some places, restructuring may be necessary.

Step 3:  Initial Certification Audit (Stage 1 & Stage 2 Audit) - This stage has 2 parts. Under the Stage 1 audit, the ISO auditor will review the actions taken by the business after the initial review was done in step 1. Any non-conformities noticed here will have to be aligned before the certification begins. Post this, in the Stage 2 audit; the ISO auditor executes the final scrutiny. If the auditors are satisfied that the non-conformities are eliminated, they will prepare the final ISO audit report and forward it to the certifying body.

Step 4: Certification - Once the certifying body is convinced about the audit report, it will issue the certification.

Note: Surveillance audits are a part of this process. From time to time, the authorities will visit the business to ensure that the ISO quality standards are well maintained.

How Much Time Will The Certification Process Take?

The time taken for completing the whole process to be ISO standard certified varies from business to business. The ISO certification agency will assess the timeframe based on the size and features of the company. Generally, the time required to complete the process ranges between 6 months to 12 months. :

What Is The Cost Involved To Get Certified?

The cost involved here is not fixed. The certifying agency evaluates various parameters like:

• Number of employees,
• Number of processes,
• Risk appetite of the business,
• Management efficiency etc. and then decides the pricing.

Benefits Of Certification

An ISO standard certified business:

1. Gets an edge over other competitors while bidding for tenders
2. Can generate more value to the resources
3. Gains customers' trust
4. Increases the goodwill of the business in the market.