Which ISO certification is best?

So, in this article, we will bust the misconception of "the best ISO certification," instead will help you understand which certification is the best for your organisation and its aspirations.

What is an ISO certificate?

An international organisation known as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes a set of criteria that function as organisational guidelines. These guidelines are discipline-specific but are flexible enough to suit organisations of different sectors or industries. When organisations implement these guidelines into their operations, their management system improves. Once organisations audit this improved management system, they can acquire certification.

Popular ISO certifications

Organisations across the globe commonly love ISO certifications. Some of the most popular ISO certifications include:

•   ISO 9001: ISO 9001 focuses on quality management and helps organisations increase the quality of their products or services. You can get more information about this certification on the iso 9001 certification australia page.

•   ISO 14001: ISO 14001 focuses on environmental performance management and helps the organisation improve their interaction with the environment.

•   ISO 45001: ISO 45001 focuses on occupational safety management and helps organisations improve the safety of their workplaces.

•   ISO 27001: ISO 27001 focuses on information security management and helps organisations improve the integrity of their sensitive data.

General benefits of ISO certifications

As mentioned above, every ISO standard shares a similar underlying base. Essentially, this base is the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act). As a direct consequence of this cycle, organisations implementing the recommendations into their operations can reap some public benefits, irrespective of the certification they choose. Some examples of general benefits of ISO certifications include:

•   Better efficiency: When business owners implement the recommendations of ISO certification in their organisation, they remove all redundancies and overlaps, thereby increasing efficiency.

•   Drastic reduction in waste production: As a direct consequence of enhanced efficiency, resource utilisation improves, leading to a drastic reduction in waste production.

•   Brand credibility: ISO logo is one of the most recognised logos in the world, and therefore, when you acquire the certificate, your brand image is boosted.

•   Access to new markets: ISO standards help promote fair trade, allowing you to enter foreign markets quickly.

•   Greater managerial overview: Regular evaluation, using meaningful metrics and evidence-based decision-making, helps managers genuinely understand what is happening in their organisation, empowering them to take better decisions.

•   Increased employee productivity: One of the core requirements of ISO standards is that managers and top leaders regularly engage with their employees. This empowers the staff as they understand that the management is truly committed to their development.

Best ISO certification for your organisation

As mentioned above, some ISO certification focus on specific disciplines. Examples of such specific disciplines include quality management, environmental management or occupational health and safety. Depending upon your organisation's needs and aspirations, an ISO certificate will be the most beneficial for you. Let us explore some of the common organisational aspirations:

•   If you aim to improve customer satisfaction, then the ISO 9001 certificate is the perfect solution for your goal. The ISO 9001 standard helps you build an effective Quality Management System (QMS) that improves the quality of your products or services and allows you to incorporate customer requirements into your processes.

•   If you are dealing with increased insurance premiums or are an organisation that is working in an inherently risky industry, such as a construction company, then the ISO 45001 standard can be your saviour. This standard helps organisations build an effective Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) that significantly reduces workplace incidents, improving workplace safety and reducing your insurance premium.

•   If your customers are environmentally conscious, you must get the ISO 14001 standard. The ISO 14001 standard guides organisations to create an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) that allows business owners to understand how their company interacts with the environment. Once business owners understand the deficiencies, they can implement environmental controls that mitigate these issues and improve resource management.

•   If your company deals with sensitive data, then acquiring ISO 27001 is a must. The ISO 27001 standard helps organisations keep their information confidential and authentic yet accessible by implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

•   If you are an organisation that is producing food items, then you must get ISO 22000 certificate. The ISO 22000 standard is a food safety management standard that helps organisations mitigate all food-related hazards to produce nutritional, safe and hygienic food items.

If you are worried about the heavy costs of getting ISO 9001 certification, we suggest you read the article how much does it cost to get iso 9001 certification.

Conclusion

We want to end the article by repeating that there is no such thing as "the best ISO certificate." Instead, there exists a certificate that is the most suitable and beneficial for your organisational needs. Some popular ISO certificates include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 22000.

If you are looking for ISO 9001 certification in Australia, visit ISO 9001 Consultant Melbourne page. ISO 9001 consultants in different Australian cities will help you to get the certificate in the shortest possible time.