June 7, 2024
Overcoming key challenges in manufacturing with ISO
The manufacturing industry continues to see a range of challenges: supply chain disruptions, technical advancements, environmental sustainability, and skilled labour shortages. Here’s how adopting ISO standards can help you overcome these challenges.
Popular ISO Standards for the manufacturing industry
The three most popular standards within the manufacturing industry include:
- ISO 9001 Quality Management, focusing on delivering consistent quality when it comes to your products and services to meet customer needs and expectations. Â
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management, aims to reduce environmental impact and enhance your sustainability efforts.
- ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety, ensuring a safe and healthy workplace, reducing the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses.Â
Other standards which could support the industry include:
- ISO 22301 Business Continuity, helps you plan for minor and major incidents, reducing the amount of downtime associated with these.
- ISO 27001 Information Security, protecting your information from threat, whether internal or external, intentional or accidental.Â
Addressing manufacturing challenges with ISO standards
Supply Chain Disruption
Whether it’s shipping delays, parts shortages, or something else, supply chain disruption is inevitable and having the ability to adapt quickly is essential for your success.
ISO 9001 focuses on building strong relationships with your suppliers from the outset. As part of the standard, you will develop a criteria for selecting the right partners for your business and evaluate their performance regularly. You will also take a proactive approach to risk management, helping you identify and address issues within the supply chain quickly. As a result, there will be minimal disruption to your business. Other standards like ISO 22301 Business Continuity can also support this. By regularly testing your Business Continuity Plan, you can reduce the downtime you may experience should the worst happen.Â
Technological Advancements
Technology continues to advance rapidly, and it can be challenging to keep up. Having ISO means you’ll be focused on continual improvement and risk management, helping you identify, adopt and manage new technologies more seamlessly. Â
As you introduce new technologies, upskilling your existing workforce is essential. ISO 9001 focuses on employee training and competency, ensuring your team is adequately trained throughout their career.  As new technologies are adopted, you’ll have appropriate measures in place to identify training opportunities, and you’ll continually monitor your team’s competency beyond its adoption. Â
New technologies also bring new cyber security risks. According to the latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, half of businesses reported having experienced some kind of cyber security breach or attack in a 12 month period. Whilst not currently a popular standard for the manufacturing industry (just 4% of our existing manufacturing clients have it), ISO 27001 plays a vital role in protecting all your information, whether it’s your physical or digital assets. With ISO 27001, you will take a proactive approach to identifying and addressing weaknesses in your information security, ensuring you stay ahead of new threats.Â
Environmental and Sustainable Concerns
Concerns around the environment and sustainability continue to grow, and manufacturers are expected to be under more regulatory and customer pressure to become more sustainable. This is evident in the Government’s plans to cut emissions from the manufacturing sector by around two-thirds by 2035.Â
By implementing ISO 14001, businesses can take a proactive approach to reducing their environmental impact. The standard provides a framework for identifying, managing and monitoring the aspects of your business that negatively impact the environment, and you’ll take appropriate steps to reduce this. In addition, the standard will ensure you stay on top of any changes to legislation as you are required to undertake routine checks to ensure your records are up to date.
Skilled Labour Shortage
The UK manufacturing industry has struggled with skilled labour shortages, from Brexit and COVID-19 to an ageing workforce and negative perceptions of the industry.
As mentioned above, ISO 9001 has a strong focus on employee training and competency, meaning you’ll have relevant training programmes in place to upskill your current employees to the standard required. Not only will this build a more capable workforce, but it will improve your employee retention with improved job satisfaction too. Â
When it comes to recruitment, ISO standards are known to enhance your company’s image. Having ISO makes you more attractive to potential employees, which is vital in a competitive job market. Whether demonstrating your commitment to quality and excellence with ISO 9001, reducing your environmental impact with ISO 14001 or providing a safe working environment with ISO 45001, you’ll stand out in the crowd against your competitors. During the recruitment process, you can even promote your training and development opportunities, making you more appealing to younger candidates or those who have a misconception of the industry, allowing them to see how their career could develop. Â
Want to learn more?
If you are interested in learning more about how ISO can help you overcome challenges within your industry, we recommend booking a discovery call with a member of our team. Alternatively, you can contact our team directly on 0330 058 5551 or by completing our online contact form.
