ISO certification is a third-party seal of approval that a company adheres to one of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards developed and published.
The ISO is a non-governmental international organization that brings experts together to share knowledge and develop international standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.
ISO certification demonstrates to your key stakeholders that you run a well-structured, stable, and ready-to-grow business.Each ISO standard has its own set of advantages, such as:
- ISO 9001 assists you in putting your customers first.
- ISO 27001 ensures the security of your systems, data, and reputation.
- ISO 14001 helps you reduce your environmental impact.
- ISO 45001 assists you in protecting your people.
- ISO 22301 safeguards your company against disruption.
The following are common benefits shared by all ISO standards:
- Increased effectiveness
- Cost-cutting measures
- Customer satisfaction has increased.
- Employees who are more engaged
- Risks are reduced.
- Insurance premiums have been reduced.
- Aids in tendering
Maintaining ISO certification demonstrates your organization’s commitment to meeting its goals while also increasing the credibility and customer confidence in your product or service.
ISO Certification In India
ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) is an independent international organization that develops International Standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, but it is not involved in ISO certification and does not issue ISO certificates. The ISO certification process is carried out in India by external certification bodies.ISO certification improves your company’s credibility as well as its overall efficiency.
Prerequisite For ISO Certification In India
1. Choosing an ISO Certification Type
First and foremost, you must determine the type of ISO certification that your company requires. ISO certification comes in a variety of forms, including:
ISO 9001:2008 – Quality Management System
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System
ISO 27001 – Information Security Management System
ISO 22008 – Food Safety Management, and so on.
2. How to Select an ISO Certification Body
It should be noted that ISO does not provide certification to businesses. External bodies perform certification. It is critical that you select a recognized and credible certification body. Keep the following in mind when selecting an ISO registrar:
- Examine various ISO Certification service providers.
- Check to see if they are adhering to the CASCO standards. CASCO is an ISO committee that works on conformity assessment issues.
- Check if it is accredited. Although accreditation is not required, they must meet the requirements of ISO Accreditation bodies.
ISO Certification Process In India
1. Make an Application
Once the entrepreneur or application has chosen the ISO standard and ISO certification body, the entrepreneur or application must submit an application in the prescribed format (depending on the ISO registrar).The applicant and the registrar should agree on a contract. The application should include liability issues, confidentiality, and access rights, as well as the rights and obligations of the entrepreneur and certification body parties.
2. Documents Review by Registrar
The ISO auditor will review all of your quality manuals and documents pertaining to the organization’s various policies and procedures. A review of existing work will assist the ISO auditor in identifying potential gaps against the ISO standards.
3. Determination of Pre-assessment needs
The pre-assessment is an initial review of an organization’s Quality Management System to identify any significant weaknesses or omissions in the system, and the registrar will provide the organisation with an opportunity to correct the deficiencies prior to the regular registration assessment.
4. Prepare an Action Plan
After the ISO auditor’s communication of existing gaps in your organisation, you should develop an action plan to close these gaps. Make a list of the tasks that must be completed in order to bring about the desired changes in your organisation. You may be required to train your employees in order for them to work efficiently while adapting to new procedures. Make sure that all employees are aware of the ISO standards for work efficiency and quality.
Note:- To achieve a quality management system, the entrepreneur may need to provide training to employees. Make all employees in the organisation aware of the ISO standards for work efficiency and quality.
5. On-site inspection and final audit
The ISO registrar will perform a physical onsite inspection to audit the organization’s changes.
If the registrar discovers anything that does not match the requirements of the ISO standards during the audit, the registrar decides the severity and issues findings. Nonconformities are audit results that fall into one of two categories based on severity.
A Minor Non-conformance is one that deals with minor breaches of procedures or minor system failures in achieving ISO standards.
A major non-conformance is one in which nonconforming products are likely to reach customers or when there is a breakdown in the quality system that results in an inefficient system in achieving the standards’ criteria.
The registration cannot be completed until the Registrar has closed and verified any serious nonconformities. This normally entails a re-audit of the impacted regions, as well as the accompanying costs.
Who Can Issue ISO Certification In India ?
ISO certificates are issued in India by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the ISO’s duly authorized national standardized authority. To receive an ISO certification, the applicant must first determine the type of ISO that he requires.
In India, ISO certification is issued by various certification bodies that are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) or other recognized accreditation bodies. These certification bodies assess organizations and their management systems against ISO standards and grant certification if the requirements are met.
Why ISO Certification Is Important For Companies
Improved Credibility
ISO certification enhances the credibility and reputation of a company. It demonstrates that the company follows international standards and best practices, which can boost customer confidence and trust in the organization
Increase Customer Satisfaction
ISO certification often involves implementing quality management systems that focus on customer satisfaction. By adhering to ISO standards, companies can improve their product or service quality, meet customer expectations, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.The ISO organization assists you in developing business processes that will allow you to improve the quality of your products
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
ISO certification ensures that a company meets legal and regulatory requirements related to its industry. Compliance with ISO standards helps organizations stay up to date with applicable laws and regulations, reducing the risk of penalties, fines, and legal issues.
Increased Market Opportunities
ISO certification can open up new market opportunities for companies. Many government agencies and large organizations require their suppliers to be ISO certified. By obtaining certification, companies can participate in tenders and contracts that are exclusively available to ISO-certified organizations, thereby expanding their market reach.
Employee Engagement and Morale
ISO certification involves employee involvement and training. Employees become more aware of quality standards, their roles in meeting those standards, and the importance of their contributions to the company’s success. This can boost employee engagement, morale, and job satisfaction.
Overall, ISO certification provides a structured framework for companies to achieve quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
How To Check If An ISO CERTIFICATION Is Valid
The method to verify certificate is as follows;
- Visit the portal :- https://www.iafcertsearch.org
- There is a space named Authenticate Accredited Certifications.
- If you have the Certificate number, you may select the option Certificate number and may search for the certified client, if you do not have the certificate number, the status of the certified client can be a search of the company name, in this situation, select the option company name and enter the name of the company.
- You may be prompted to verify your action that you are a human being. This is done by IAF to avoid unnecessary use of the data
- When you will start typing the name of the company or certificate number, the website shall auto-suggest the certified client by name or number, you may select the correct company name, you may select the company by name or number, and may verify the status.
- IN case you cannot find the name of the company on iafcertsearch, check if the certificate has been one day before, as an update of the certificate may take up to one working day’s time depending on the policy of the Conformity assessment body.
- If you cannot find the name of the company, you may see the Information Request Form and may submit a request for clarification on the certified client.
- Please note that all the valid certificates are issued by any IAF-approved.Certification body that is accredited by the accreditation board which is a member of IAF and has signed MLA. arrangements with the accreditation board are available on https://www.iafcertsearch.org/.
- If you cannot find the details of a certified company, you may write your feedback or demand clarification on the website itself.
How-To Know If Your ISO Certifications Are Genuine
An valid certificate should include the following information:
- The organization’s name and address must be certified.
- Certification Scope outlining its activities under certification – for example, manufacture, packing, and sale of dairy products such as…… (a long list of products)
- Standard (or, in some cases, scheme or regulation) against which certification is granted, such as ISO 9001 or ISO 22000 (standard) or AS 9100 or FSSC 22000 (scheme) – in general, guidance standards (e.g., ISO 10002 or ISO 31000) are not certifiable – these must be formal, requirement standards or specifications.
- Certificate issue and expiration dates
- The certificate’s unique identifying number
- Certification body (CB) name and address
- The certification body’s logo
- Accrediting symbol denoting the name of the accrediting body (AB) that has accredited the certification body (in most countries, without a legislation mandating certification bodies to register, accreditation is the only means to recognize a competent, authentic certification body).
- IAF Mark – indicates that the certificate is covered by the International Accreditation Forum’s (IAF) Multilateral Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MLA) and is thus internationally equivalent and marketable.
One Response
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