With more than 22,000 different standards on offer, ISO certification helps thousands of organisations around the world to prove and improve quality on a daily basis.
ISO standards began by covering obvious areas such as weights and measures, but over the course of 50 years the quality management system has flourished to encapsulate a seemingly endless array of business procedures.
The International Organisation for Standardisation itself describes the range of items covered by certification as “… everything from the shoes we stand in, to the Wi-Fi networks that connect us invisibly to each other”.
Whatever field of industry your organisation operates in; whatever the size and structure of your business; and whether you’re focussed on improving employee productivity, customer satisfaction or both, there is almost certainly an ISO standard for you.
A platform for a brighter future
There are huge business benefits to gaining ISO accreditation. They tend to vary from sector to sector (for example, laboratory workers require certainty of results based on solid and replicable procedures; other businesses may be in the market for showing off their sustainability credentials).
Broadly speaking, however, all organisations that achieve and implement ISO standards enjoy the following:
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Improved results and competitive edge
- The ability to be agile
- A contribution to the greater good
1. Improved customer satisfaction
In a world of consumer choice and customer churn, this boost to your business can be a powerful tonic. Achieving ISO certification means your organisation is following stringent processes and quality management systems that have been put in place. As a result, you can expect that the effort you have put in will mean consistent delivery of products or services, the corollary of which is customer satisfaction as people acknowledge that what you’re offering is safe, reliable and of great quality.
2. Improved results and competitive edge
It follows that if customers are happy they will likely come back for more and even spend more. In that sense, ISO business benefits are not dissimilar to customer loyalty programmes run by the likes of e-commerce businesses. Treat your market well, and prove you are capable of continuing to do so, and increased revenues and profit should follow. In some cases, ISO standards have improved business results by up to 60%.
3. The ability to be agile
Commerce is increasingly built on the shifting sands of technology. It’s vital, therefore, to monitor and react to changes in the digital arena to ensure your business remains cutting edge. Having ISO certification allows your organisation to do just that, as you already have a framework in place on which to build adaptive procedures.
4. A contribution to the greater good
By living up to high standards not just in terms of the quality of products and services that are the output of your organisation, a key contribution can be made to society – from your local community to the world as a whole. ISO standards cover a gamut of concerns that affect people’s daily lives, from medical compliance to environmental protection and aviation safety. Businesses keen to be well-meaning global citizens need look no further than ISO certification.
Meet with the Qualitator
“I’ve worked with Geoff over a number of years and greatly value his integrity and pragmatic approach to helping companies achieve better results. Business Consultancy seems at times a crowded field but Geoff stands out head and shoulders above the rest.”– Ian Walker Ltd.
“The integrity was never in question, he was easy to get on with and his expert guidance was always well thought through. While a subject matter expert he always made his guidance easy to follow. Carl always made himself available, pleasure to do business with.”– Gary Nevison