ISO International Standards ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. For business, they are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors and increasing productivity. They help companies to access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries and facilitate free and fair global trade.

Implementing an ISO Management System is a systematic way to discover and control the effects a company has on the quality of its products, environmental impacts, safety and health of its employees.

ISO 9001

Quality Management System

The ISO 9000 family of standards is related to quality management systems and designed to help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements related to the product. The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National standards bodies. ISO 9000 deals with the fundamentals of quality management systems, including the eight management principles on which the family of standards is based. ISO 9001 deals with the requirements that organizations wishing to meet the standard have to fulfill.

ISO 14001

Environmental Management System

ISO 14000 is a family of standards related to environmental management that exists to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes etc.) negatively affect the environment (i.e. cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements, and (c) continually improve in the above.

ISO 14000 is similar to ISO 9000 quality management in that both pertain to the process of how a product is produced, rather than to the product itself. As with ISO 9000, certification is performed by third-party organizations rather than being awarded by ISO directly. The ISO 19011 audit standard applies when auditing for both 9000 and 14000 compliance at once.

The requirements of ISO 14001 are an integral part of the European Union‘s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). EMAS‘s structure and material requirements are more demanding, foremost concerning performance improvement, legal compliance and reporting duties.

OHSAS 18001

Safety and Health Management System

OHSAS 18001 is a British Standard for occupational health and safety management systems. It is intended to help an organizations to control occupational health and safety risks. It was developed in response to widespread demand for a recognized standard against which to be certified and assessed. It is widely seen as the world’s most recognized occupational health and safety management systems standard.

What is ISO?

Set of Policy and Procedures

How would ISO apply to your business? Lets look at the simplified example using Aegis Safety’s business model.

The ISO 9001 Quality Standard helps you achieve consistent results in customers satisfaction and continuously improve your service standard.

Policy
To deliver the best consultation service to our customers.

Objectives
Every customer will be happy, satisfied, etc.

Scope
Tells us which area it applies in the organization. (training slides, service standard, branding, etc)

Reference
Reference another document that should be used alongside this management system. In this case, ISO 9001:2008.

Terms and Definitions
Gives new terms and definitions to the words used in the documentation.

General Requirements

Identifying your processes

Consultant interview
Preparation of Training slides
Client follow up
Soft skills in handling clients
Audit your quality management
Perform corrective & preventive measures

Documentation

Quality Policy
Objectives
Manual
Planning forms
Records

Quality Manual

Scope
Procedures
Description of their interaction.

Control of Documents

List of vendors
Data and Form recording
Implement a Number System for the above
Ensure regular approval of updates

Control of Records

To provide evidence of conformity

Management Responsibility
Assign roles to the management to become part of the quality committee

Customer Focus to ensure that you meet customer needs regularly
Management Review
Review inputs such as customer feedbacks, audits, etc
Review output such as meeting of customer requirements, processes, etc

Resource Management
Ensures that the company has enough resources to carry out the plan

Is there enough time or money to train consultants?
Competence

Are the consultants qualified?
Do they have industry experience?

Infrastructure

Do we have a good customer relationship management system currently?

Product Realization
Gives requirements for our consultancy services

Planning
Customer related processes
Design
Purchasing and process control

Measurement, Analysis and Improvement
Monitoring those processes and improving them.

Customer satisfaction

How to ensure that customers are satisfied. Are you getting complaints? Does the customer require more value added services?

Internal Audit

Review your customer policy regularly

Monitoring and measurement of processes

Making sure the consultancy service meet up to the standards.

Control of non-conforming product

If customer complains, can it be salvaged?
Keep records of complaints

Continuous improvement

How can we make our service better?
Is there a structural manner for the consultancy process?
Do they ensure the objectives are being met?

Corrective action

Fixing your mistakes

Preventive action

What can be done to ensure there isn’t any customer complaint?

Government Funding Available

ISO Management Systems