What is ISO?

What is an ISO management standard?

An ISO Management Standard is a set of internationally recognised guidelines, covering key areas of running and managing a business such as:

Leadership and commitment
Managing business risks and opportunities
Resources such as, people and infrastructure
Competence
Communication
Operational planning and control
Performance evaluation
Improvement

An ISO management standard is a way of running your operations so they are consistent and effective.

It is viewed as business best practice. The most common benefits include:

Increased efficiency
Reduced costs
Improved customer satisfaction
More engaged employees
Reduced risks

If you are an owner managed business, ISO Management Systems can help make your business more attractive to potential buyers. If your long term strategy is to obtain an investor or sell the business, ISO Certification can help.

"ISO Quality Services Limited are a very professional organization that deliver excellent and prompt customer service. Our company has pursued six certifications with them over two international locations and have not only achieved our certificates, but also have used the work done to achieve them to make meaningful improvements within our company. Highly recommended."

Shyamal Chandradathsingh, MD at BG Energy Inc

What is ISO certification and is it right for you?

ISO certification is proof from a third party that you comply with an ISO management standard. It can show your key stakeholders that you have a well-run business that has structure, is stable and ready for growth – this can help with applying for finance from your bank, impressing potential investors, or eventually selling.

To achieve ISO Certification, you have to prove that your business meets the requirements of the standard. Although this sounds intimidating, a lot of the requirements are general good business practice and we will help you every step of the way.

Once certified, we will help you to continually retain your certification. You will be able to contact us for advice whenever you need it and our fees include on-going consultancy to help keep your systems on track for a painless re-certification, year after year.

If you answer yes to all or some of the following questions, you should consider having your business certified:

Would you like your business to be worth up to 20% more?
Would you like to be more profitable?
Are there areas within your business that could be more efficient?
Would you benefit from reducing costs?
Are your processes and procedures undocumented?
Could improving customer satisfaction improve your turnover?
Do you find yourself (or your team) spending time fixing things rather than planning for a stronger future?
Do different people do things in their own way?
Does it take a while for new starters to become productive?
Would your business benefit from improved staff engagement and heightened motivation?

ISO certification also offers other benefits, such as increased sales and reduced insurance premiums.

What is the process?

To begin with, our consultant will visit you to conduct a non-committal GAP analysis. This helps us to identify where your business is now, what needs to be completed to reach your intended goal and how many days consultancy would be required.

Whilst this is not a formal consultancy day, you will benefit from the advice and support of our consultant, which will also be sent to you in a formal report.

Should you wish to proceed, we will provide additional consultancy to help you implement our findings.

Step 1

Contact us

Speak to our ISO experts to get your bespoke quote.

Step 2

Kick start meeting

Meet with your new account manager and get an overview of the next steps and support provided.

Step 3

Initial assessment

First meeting with your auditor who will identify works to be completed.

Step 4

Documentation preparation

We’ll compile your Overview Document which will act as your ISO manual.

Step 5

Certification audit

Once requirements of the Standard are met, we’ll present you with your certificate.

Step 6

Maintaining compliance

We’ll visit you twice yearly to support you with your ongoing compliance.

How much does ISO certification cost?

The costs vary depending on the size of your organisation and the level to which you’re currently operating.

Due to our proposals being bespoke, we recommend getting in touch with a member of our team to discuss your requirement in more detail so we can provide a free, no-obligation quote.