Everything You Need To Know About ISO Standards as a Business Owner

You know the old adage, “quality over quantity.” As a business owner, you strive for your products or services to be of the utmost quality, and as a consumer, you seek a quality product/service and willingly pay more for it. The folks that define the universal definition of quality are the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

What is the International Organization for Standardization

ISO is an independent, non-governmental organization that brings together experts from all over the world to develop voluntarily, consensus-based, International Standards. They are in place to reflect the best and safest way of doing something (maintaining consistency and quality), while also working toward a sustainable future.

What are ISO Standards?

ISO Standards cover just about all aspects of daily life and work for businesses of every size. They incorporate a range of industries, including food, environmental, and information technology. Each defines different requirements and guidelines that ensure consistency, quality, and safety, with the aim of putting the consumer first.

One of the most recognized standards is ISO 9001, part of the ISO 9000 family. ISO 9001 defines and sets the criteria for a quality management system (QMS), focused on improving the process approach to consistently meet and exceed customer expectations.

What is ISO Certification?

Just like any other certification, an organization must meet certain requirements to receive the seal of approval, and in this case, it’s completely voluntary. Oddly enough, ISO doesn’t provide certification or conformity assessment. To become ISO certified, an organization must work with an external certification body (third party company) who will determine if that organization meets all of the requirements under that standard and demonstrates their commitment to quality systems and business practices.

While “ISO certified” is the simplest way to refer to a certification, according to the ISO, when labeling a product or system as certified to an ISO standard:

• Organizations shouldn’t say: "ISO certified" or "ISO certification"
• Organizations should say: "ISO 9001:2015 certified" or "ISO 9001:2015 certification" (for example)

Benefits of Standards and Why You Should Consider Working with ISO Certified Partners

ISO Standards have helped us to improve efficiency and quality in our processes and systems while producing our products. Every step leading up to the finished product follows the guidelines under ISO 9001:2015. Our customers and partners can rest assured that our business processes are reliable, safe and consistent in producing good-quality product.

For more tips on running a successful business, check out our small business resources section of our website.