ISO certification is the most valuable tool for organizations since it enables them to simplify their operations with effective management systems to assure the quality, safety, and customer satisfaction of their products or services. To put it in a nutshell, ISO certification conveys the idea that a company meets all of the regulatory criteria of the international standard and meets the expectations of its stakeholders. Obtaining certification will significantly increase the value of your business by increasing its legitimacy, assuring client satisfaction, and providing access to market prospects. In this article, we discuss how ISO standards lead you to achieve your business strategic goals.
What is ISO standard?
The International Organization for Standardization, ISO is a non-governmental organization operating at the global level that defines and develops standards to ensure the safety, efficiency, and quality of products, services, or systems. ISO certifications cover many areas of industry, ranging from energy management and medical devices to environmental management and information security. Each ISO standard addresses a certain aspect of a business or industry. There are currently over 22,600 ISO standards for different businesses, but many businesses need only a few of them. Among such standards are:
- ISO 9001: 2015 addresses requirements for a quality management system.
- ISO 14001: 2015 specifies the standard for environmental management systems.
- ISO 27001: specifies the standard for information security management systems.
Is ISO standard a must for every business?
Depending on what your business is concerned with, having ISO standards might be a must or an option. Any business related to the following industries must have the required ISO standard.
- Engineering
- Technology
- Health
- Construction
- Hotels and hospitality
- Community services
- Manufacturing
As you can see, these industries encompass many big and small businesses. ISO 9001 is the most common ISO standard required from such businesses. With some, it might be the only needed standard; with others, more ISO standards might be required. To find out which standards your business needs, you can consult a reliable ISO provider and ask them for clarification. Please keep in mind that even if your business is not required by law to have an ISO certificate, you should still consider getting one to help your business grow.
How ISO standards help you achieve your strategic goals
As a business owner, you are expected to have some strategic goals. Growing your business, attracting more clients, improving the quality of your products and services, and earning more profit are the main objectives all business owners want to achieve one way or another. To say that having ISO standards will automatically bring you all these would be a bald claim. However, ISO standards would make the process much easier in several different ways. Here are some of the most important benefits of having ISO standards that positively affect your business growth.
· Higher credibility
ISO is a worldwide recognized standard that everyone appreciates. This means that your product or services will be more valuable in the eyes of your customers/clients. They will know that your service/product has passed some filters, met some parameters, and is, therefore, reliable. Apart from this, other businesses will give you credit for what you are doing and show more interest in collaborating with you.
· Better recognition
By having an ISO certificate, you will take your business one step closer to worldwide recognition. An ISO certificate will let you work with businesses based in other countries and hence have greater opportunities. Additionally, this will elevate your brand’s reputation among the public, making you a better choice for principled clients.
· Risk reduction
The fact that ISO certifications help your business get ready for potential hazards involving processes, assets, people, and products is one of its less known advantages. Any risks you may have, current or potential, can be turned into opportunities with the use of ISO-based management systems. They help you evaluate risks, pinpoint their effects, manage them, or lessen them with preventative actions. As a result, your business is better equipped to handle or evade the risks.
· Enhanced income
Sticking to world-level standards suggests that your service/product is of considerably high quality. This is important in two regards. Firstly, your customers will find it justifiable to pay more than expected for the service they have received from you. Secondly, providing high-quality products will follow higher demand from the market. The higher the demand, the more profit you will obtain.
· More control over your business
ISO necessitates constantly monitoring, measuring, analyzing, and evaluating the efficacy of your quality management system. In doing so, you will develop performance metrics that will let you assess how well you are performing and which sectors need improvements. This means that if anything goes wrong, you’ll spot it immediately and take action accordingly.
· Facing fewer business rivals
Whatever your business might be, you will know that there are others who do the same thing as you. Depending on the nature and scope of your business, sometimes you might have hundreds of business rivals at the national or international level. Therefore you have to get prepared for an ongoing intense competition in the market. This is easier said than done, given that many strategies you have up your sleeve either have a short-term effect or benefit your rivals the same way they benefit you. However, by obtaining ISO standards, you will outperform many of those rivals as your product will be of world-class quality.
Conclusion
To achieve your business goals, it is essential to define your objectives and think of ways through which you can attract more customers and make some room for your business in the market. The quality of your products and services is among the defining factors that help you improve your business. Therefore, sticking to world-level quality is the right way to go. Discussing the crucial role ISO standard plays in various businesses, this article explained several benefits of ISO standards that entrepreneurs and business owners should consider. If you have any queries regarding ISO standards or need help with getting one, don’t hesitate to reach out and get a free consultation.
