Importance of ISO Certification for Businesses

Businesses who are operating across the globe, and involved in the business of product manufacturing and service industry are required to obtain an ISO Certification. It is needed to  ensure that the quality of products and services being offered to the consumers are genuine as per the guidelines of the International Organization of Standardization. With the help of this article, we shall understand the concept and process to obtain ISO Certification in detail.

Definition of ISO Certification

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental international organization that develops standards for the businesses to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of its products, services, and systems. An ISO certification ensures that a business adheres to these standards, enhancing customer confidence and credibility.

Eligibility for ISO Certification

The following are criteria that are enlisted below, which the organization is required to meet in order to obtain ISO certification:

• The Business must have a registered entity/operational presence in India for a minimum of 5 continuous years.
• The business must have a minimum of 10 employees working for them.  
• The business must meet industry standards (management commitment to quality, system development process, etc.).
• The business must carry out an on-site audit to ensure compliance with all certification criteria.

Benefits of ISO Certification in India

The following are the benefits of obtaining ISO Certification:

• It enhances the credibility of the Organization. The ISO Certification increases/ enhances the credibility of the Organisation offering products/service to its customers ensuring reliability and goodwill of the Company.
• It increases efficiency of the Organization. ISO Certification streamlines the processes, making it efficient for the Enterprise to offer its products/services as per the standard.
• Obtaining ISO Certiifcation open doors for the Organisation(s) to access and enter new markets including but not limited to international clients and government suppliers.
• Adhering to ISO standards ensures consistent quality, leading to higher customer satisfaction and commitment.
• ISO standards establish control mechanisms by locating potential risks to reduce them and increase the organization’s resilience to tackle such issues.

Process of obtaining ISO Certification in India

The process of getting ISO certification in India is controlled by authorized bodies Bureau of Indian Standards, the Quality council of India and National Accreditation Board for Certification bodies in India.

1.    The First and foremost step is to submit an appropriate application for obtaining ISO certification. There are various categories of ISO certification are as follows:

• ISO 27001:2005 Information Security Management Systems
• ISO 9000:2008 Quality Management Systems
• ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems
• ISO/TS 16949:2009 Electronic Product Code (EPC)

Depending on the nature and purpose, the applicant is required to fill out an appropriate form along with the requisite documentation such as Registration papers of the company, Quality standards being followed by the Organization etc, that can aid in obtaining the ISO Certification.

2.    Upon filing the form and submitting the documents at the concerned ISO registrar. A separate internal and external audit shall be done by the concerned authorities to identify the gaps in the organisation to improve the quality of the products/services being offered by the organisation.

3.    After improving and making the required changes in the organisation to improve the quality standards, the ISO certification audit report shall be forwarded to the ISO registration for approval and verification.

4.    Once the ISO auditor is satisfied with the changes and the final audit report, then, the Registrar will issue ISO Certification mark to the organisation.

Timelines for Issuance of ISO Certification

It is generally on the discretion of the authorities to issue the ISO Certification. Depending on the size of the organisation, nature of the product/services offered, the issuance process takes time.

• Small organizations: It can take up to 6-8 months for the authorities to issue the ISO Certification.
• Medium organizations: It can take up to 8-12 months for the authorities to issue the ISO Certification.
• Large organizations: It can take up to 8-12 months for the authorities to issue the ISO Certification.

Conclusion

In view of the above, the ISO certification is a strategic tool for businesses looking to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and standards of quality of their products and services, so that they can cater to a large market and expand its businesses globally without any hassle. A professional/ domain expert having in-depth knowledge can aid in the process of getting the organisation an ISO certification without any trouble.