Formed in 1946, ISO (International Organization of Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 165 national standards bodies with one member per country.¹ ISO certification is pursued by companies and organizations throughout the world to help standardize procedures and processes, by documenting the steps required to produce a product or service.
ISO certification is important because it helps to make sure that the quality throughout the entire company stays consistent, by adhering to one set of rules. This certification has almost become de rigueur for industry. In some cases a company needs to be ISO certified in order to qualify for bids or to work with another business.
Documentation
While most every procedure can be documented, most companies focus on key processes that drive their organization, keeping work instructions easy to read and understand, while making sure steps are clearly detailed.
As not everyone consumes information in the same way, it is helpful to include text, images, screen shots, and where possible, video. The content should be visually appealing as well as descriptive so that it is easy for all to understand and adopt.
Audits
To maintain their certification, companies must undergo audits on a routine schedule, annually. These in-depth meetings are conducted to review existing procedures and verify compliance, helping to identify any areas that may need to be addressed. This is quite helpful to a company because it provides an objective view of their operations, helping them to evaluate, maintain and fine-tune procedures.
Updates
ISO has evolved over the years. The most recent changes occurred with ISO 9001:2015. There are now 10 clauses in the standard instead of eight. Terminology is different, and there is more emphasis on leadership involvement, risk management, and process, specifically focusing on input and output. These changes allow companies to better align procedures to their existing operations, and to integrate this effort at all levels.
For companies across the globe, ISO provides a common platform for developing practical tools through common understanding and cooperation among stakeholders.²
It is no wonder that the term ISO is derived from the Greek ‘isos’, meaning equal.
This blog was authored by Katie Losiniecki, quality manager, Sharpe Products.
Sources:
¹https://www.iso.org/about-us.html, ISO
²https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/store/en/PUB100007.pdf, ISO, August 2019.