A certification is a formal declaration that an event, status, or thing is true. It must be issued by a public authority, such as an institution or person. It must be credible in society. This credibility can be established by law, or through social acceptance. After reading this definition, what is the first thing you think of?
Most people think of ISO immediately. ISO, which was established through acceptance by society, has become synonymous with quality and standardization. Why should my company be required to adhere to rules set by an entity that doesn’t force people to do so? This freedom is not available for all industries. It can be said, however, that ISO certification is sought after companies feel it is beneficial.
- Standardization
Standardization has the following goals:
- Simplify production in different industries;
- Assure product safety and consistency
- Promote global cooperation and compatibility.
Standardization generally has unalienable social, technological, and economic benefits for companies.
- Meet Customer Needs
This is a very dangerous reason. ISO certification is often requested by companies to meet customer requirements. Other cases are when the customer states that they will only do business exclusively with certified suppliers. Yes, it is important to meet customer needs satisfactorily. However, this must be done in a continuous and plural manner. It can be costly to focus only on the immediate benefit and not the customer’s needs, which could lead to a higher cost long-term.
- Enhance The Quality Of Products And Processes
Quality is the main goal of ISO certification. An ISO certification will result in a higher quality product and process for all employees.
- Communicate, Understand And Describe The Processes Of Your Company
This is done to improve management and control of business processes. These are the foundation of your system. Metrics can be used to communicate and understand your system’s performance about your goals. You will discover more about your company if you try to get ISO certification.
- Increase The Consistency Of Your Operations
The best definition of consistency is to reduce variation in your processes. A consistent product will serve your customer best: it should have the same dimensions, weight, and tolerances as the original output.
Your customers won’t accept any variation and neither should yours! How can you decrease variation? You can increase control over your processes. Control is achieved by achieving a clear goal. To collect data about a process, and then to determine how to adjust it to maintain consistency. These tasks can be accomplished with the help of ISO requirements.
- Increase Efficiency, Reduce Waste, And Save Money
Although an ISO management system may not be perfect, it can help your company get closer to perfection. Your processes will improve and become more consistent. This will allow you to reach your goals more often, resulting in tangible results. Your processes will be more efficient and you’ll reduce waste.
Inefficiency and poor quality are the causes of waste, as well as money being wasted. Inefficiency is caused by inconsistencies and variation. You will save money and reduce variation by improving consistency.
- Facilitate Collaboration In Business
International acceptance of ISO facilitates international collaboration, research, and development of new products. Standardization gives your company the ability to conduct international business knowing that the product or input you used will be compatible and invariable.