ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) is a global federation of national standardisation for organisations. It is made up of representatives from many national standards organisations and creates and publishes a wide range of proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards.
ISO is the largest developer of voluntary International Standards in the world. These standards provide up-to-date requirements for products, services, and best practices, allowing industries to operate more efficiently and effectively. They help to break down barriers to international trade by being developed through global consensus.
The purpose of ISO is to encourage the global development of standards and related activities. ISO creates and sets standards for a wide range of materials, products, and processes. ISO standards are followed by organisations voluntarily. Each country has a body that oversees the standardisation process and guarantees that any organisation participating in the programs complies with the rules.
Things you should know about ISO
ISO standards were created to offer guidance, coordination, simplification, and unification of criteria to companies and organisations to reduce costs and increase effectiveness, as well as to standardise products and services for all organisations. ISO standards have been developed and adopted by many companies in many countries out of a need and willingness to standardise quality parameters.
Where did ISO originate from?
ISO is not an acronym; it comes from the ancient Greek word ísos, which means equal or equivalent. Because the organisation’s acronyms would be different in different languages, the organisation’s founders chose the abbreviated form ISO.
In 1946, delegates from 25 countries convened at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London to vote to establish a new international body to allow for industry standards to be coordinated and standardised on a global scale. Thus, the new organisation, ISO, started activities in February 1947. ISO now has 161 member nations and 3 368 technical organisations working on standard development. The ISO Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, employs around 150 individuals full-time.
Principles of ISO
- ISO sets standards in response to the industry stakeholders’ proposals or to accommodate obvious market demands.
- ISO creates standards based on the opinions of international experts. The technical committee then decides on the standards’ scope and content.
- ISO encourages organisations to keep meticulous records of problems, investigate their sources, and devise long-term solutions. As a result, there is less waste, a higher level of quality, and lower expenses.
- ISO creates standards through a process that involves a variety of interested parties, including consumer groups, academics, non-governmental organisations, and the public sector.
- ISO creates standards based on principles and considers all input and revision requests.
Importance of ISO
ISO Standards play an important role in our society since they ensure the quality and safety of products and services internationally. Businesses can profit from ISO standards since they can help decrease costs by implementing better Processes and Procedures. Apart from making a firm stronger, more effective, and productive. Today, ISO can also make it more appealing to purchasers should the time come to sell.
The ISO does not decide when a new standard should be developed; rather, it responds to a request from business or other stakeholders, such as consumer organisations. Once a need for a standard has been determined, a technical committee’s panel of experts meets to discuss and negotiate a draft standard. When a draft is completed, it is shared with ISO members, who are requested to provide feedback and vote on it. If there is an agreement, the draft becomes an ISO standard; if not, it is returned to the technical committee for revisions.
The Standards assist organisations to increase production while reducing errors and waste. They make it easier for businesses to access new markets and contribute to the fair development of global trade by allowing items from different markets to be directly compared. The standards also protect consumers and the end-users of products and services by guaranteeing that certified products meet internationally agreed-upon minimum requirements.
How can WWISE help?
WWISE can help your business with ISO implementation achieve excellence by ensuring our clients’ success through ISO standards. We work with businesses to build resilience into their culture, allowing them to grow sustainably, adapt to change, and survive in the long run.
For more information on ISO contact WWISE today on 08610 99473 or 021 525 9159 or visit our website: https://www.wwise.co.za.