Today, we will give you some tips on how to choose from the many management standards. After all, many standards may be suitable for your company and industry, but not all may be compatible with the current context of your business.
Therefore, today’s tips can help you make the best use of certification and make the right choice! Let’s get started?
Identify the needs of your company to choose the ideal ISO standard
Once the different ISO certifications/standards that are available are clear, the next step is to identify the needs of your company. If you are not familiar with all the standards, reread our last post or consult the official ISO website.
Moving forward, this could be a moment to think of some questions and try to define which certification may be the most appropriate for you.
Try to answer questions that will help you address the bigger question: “What is most important and what do I prioritize for my company?” So, we can ask ourselves:
- What is the focus of the recent complaints we have received?
- Is our biggest problem the quality of our products or services?
- Is it about reducing environmental impacts?
- Am I prioritizing the health and safety of our employees?
- Do I need to better protect our customer data?
- What is the biggest pain point for the company at this moment?
- Am I looking to reduce occurrences of corruption and bribery in the organization?
- What is the biggest challenge for our customers?
- Which “areas” have caused the most losses for the company?
Identifying the needs of your company in this way will help determine which ISO certification is most suitable.
For example, if we find that we have been receiving many fines for environmental factors, it may be interesting to consider implementing ISO 14001.
If absenteeism is a major issue, ISO 45001 could be a helpful solution!
If customers are complaining about defects in products, ISO 9001 will provide a foundation for understanding and correcting the failures that lead to these defects.
This is the logic we should follow. Additionally, it’s worth considering that this can be achieved through meetings, brainstorming sessions, data collection, etc. The more minds involved, the better the results!
Take into account the industry of your company
Another important factor to consider is the industry of your company, as some ISO certifications are more expected for certain business sectors.
For example, ISO 27001 certification is focused on information security management, while ISO 50001 certification is aimed at companies seeking to optimize their energy consumption.
So, while data protection may be more important for technology companies (ISO 27001), electricity consumption optimization may be more relevant for the manufacturing industry (ISO 50001).
Make sure to choose a certification that is relevant to your industry and will truly make a difference in your results!
Evaluate the time and costs involved in the process
ISO certification will require time and resources from your company. Therefore, it is important to carefully evaluate the time and resources that need to be involved in obtaining the desired certification.
Ensure that your company is prepared to take on this commitment and that you have the necessary resources to implement and maintain a management system that meets the certification requirements and delivers results.
Taking into account the current context of your company, some standards may require more resources than others to be implemented. Often, the existing excellence in a company may bring it close to certification without the need for major changes. So, it’s worth focusing on that as well!
Consider the certification body’s authorization
Finally, the last step is to consider the certification body’s guarantee for the ISO certification you choose. Therefore, selecting a responsible, ethical, and recognized certification body is crucial!
ISO certification is an important validation of the quality of your company’s management, but it will only be externally valid when it has the authorization of a certification body.
The certification body is a qualified company that will assess all the processes, compliance, and requirements and then provide the certification that best fits your company (the one for which it was contracted to assess compliance).
Choose the most suitable ISO standard for your business!
As we can evaluate throughout the text, ISO certificates are divided into different groups with varied objectives. All in order to cater to different types of industries and help companies with what matters most: improving results!
It is important, then, to thoroughly understand the guidelines of the ISO standard to be implemented in order to choose the most suitable certification for your company and execute the implementation project in the best possible way!
From there, we can initiate the certification process, which is a great opportunity to enhance your company’s image and ensure that your products and services can be offered with a high standard of commitment, punctuality, and quality!
Furthermore, don’t forget: when your company chooses the ideal ISO standard, you can rely on QMS to achieve that certification! QMS offers certifications in various standards for companies of different sizes and industries. So contact us and request a quote, just click here!
