Across the world, there are hundreds of different types of certifications, from food manufacturing certificates to pharmaceutical production certificates. ISO Certification is a global standard and is one of the most recognisable certifications throughout various business industries, which is one of the reasons it’s so valuable.
To find out how your business can benefit from ISO certification, take a look at some of the advantages it offers:
As you optimise in-house processes in preparation for ISO certification, you’ll find that you’re able to eliminate wasted time and resources and operate with increased efficiency. While the exact nature of these benefits will depend on the certification you prepare and apply for, many ISO standards empower organisations to increase efficiency and productivity.
Developing a Quality Management System as part of the ISO 9001 certification enables you to identify gaps in your existing processes and implement streamlined workflows. As a result, in-house efficiency increases, which has a positive knock-on effect on productivity and profitability.
Successfully obtaining an ISO certification reflects positively on your brand and builds trust between your organisation and your target audience(s). As an internationally recognised standard, the ISO 14001 certification signifies that you have an effective environmental management system in place, for example, while passing the ISO 14001 audit signifies that your organisation has been assessed and approved by trusted, independent personnel.
If you’re operating within an emerging industry or current ISO certifications don’t fit your needs, there’s no need to worry about missing out on the opportunity to garner brand recognition and enhance your reputation.
ISO certifications are recognised all over the world, which makes them valuable to both businesses that hold them and organisations that are seeking partnerships and suppliers. When procuring new business relationships, organisations will often specify that applicants must hold specific ISO certifications before being eligible to submit a tender.
An organisation might be required to hold a current ISO 45001 certification before being eligible to bid for government-issued contracts, for example. As governments generally want to improve workplace health and safety, requiring suppliers to have appropriate occupational health and safety management systems in place via the ISO 45001 certification is a viable and effective way to achieve this goal.
As such, companies can increase their eligibility for upcoming contracts and tenders by obtaining and maintaining ISO certifications that are relevant to their industry and their target audience(s).
An ISO certification is so well-regarded that having any ISO certification can help to increase trust and confidence in your organisation. However, when you choose to apply for certifications that are designed to standardise security and reliability, you can ensure that potential partners or clients view your organisation as trustworthy, reliable and security conscious.
For example, the ISO 22301 framework requires certification holders to “implement, maintain and improve a management system to protect against, reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of, prepare for, respond to and recover from disruptions when they arise.”. Integrating a compliant business continuity management system in this way signifies that your company can be trusted to mitigate risk, implement contingency plans and operate within unnecessary disruptions, thus increasing confidence in your brand.
International standards have developed over time and now span a wide range of industries and sectors. Increasing safety, particularly consumer safety, has always been a core tenet and the ISO 45001 certification helps to keep consumers safe by ensuring that manufacturers and suppliers minimise health and safety risks, provide consumers with appropriate guidance where necessary and facilitate the safe use of products.
For companies that produce or sell consumer products, having relevant ISO certifications is critical to your long-term success. In many cases, B2B partners will require organisations to meet ISO safety standards before agreeing to stock, promote or sell their goods. By meeting the required standard and obtaining certification, you can help to support the development of an industry that puts consumers first while enhancing your own brand profile.
Additionally, obtaining certifications that are relevant to your sector and operations can improve workplace and public safety too. Whether it’s the safety of machinery, such as fixed access ladders, via ISO 45001 or processes and services via ISO 9001, there are multiple standards that can help to improve safety for employees, consumers and the public in general.
The prep work that’s required to obtain an ISO certification often means assessing your in-house processes and modifying them to achieve better outcomes and smoother operations. For management certifications, in particular, learning how to optimise your processes can have a transformative effect on the running of your organisation.
One of the key benefits that most ISO certificate holders report is reduced operating costs, which are usually obtained as a result of increased efficiency and productivity. As you improve your profitability via better rates of efficiency and productivity, your revenue increases and costs are reduced accordingly.
In addition to this, direct savings can occur as you discover new and innovative ways to format your workflows, engage your teams and structure your business. With a world of financial benefits on offer, finding the right ISO certification for your organisation can enable you to enhance your company’s fiscal performance in both the short and long-term.
With so many advantages available, it’s easy to see why companies are eager to obtain and retain ISO certifications. To find the right certification for your organisation or to learn more about the certification and audit process, contact our friendly team now on 020 3198 9788.