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ISO

Mar 30, 2023 | Institutions

International Organization for Standards – ISO is a non-governmental organization and has no authority to enforce the implementation of standards. ISO does not issue regulations or laws. However, countries may choose to adopt ISO standards – primarily in the areas of health, safety and environmental impact – as legally binding or refer to them in regulations. Although ISO standards are voluntary, they are becoming a market requirement, such as the ISO 9001 series of standards.

ISO standards are developed according to market needs. The work is mainly performed by experts from the industry, technical and business sectors where the need for standards is demonstrated. They are based on an international consensus among experts in a specific field. All standards are reviewed periodically, at least once every five years, in order to decide whether they need to be amended or repealed. ISO standards are technical agreements that provide a framework for technology compatibility worldwide. They are designed to be globally relevant and useful anywhere in the world.

Most standards are narrowly specialized for a particular product, material or process. However, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and such, are generic management systems standards. Generic means that the same standard can be applied to any activity and to any organization, small or large, regardless of product or service, in any sector and regardless of whether the organization is private or public. ISO 9001 contains a set of generic requirements for implementing a quality management system, and ISO 14001 for environmental management.

Briefly about ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 series

The ISO 9000 and ISO 1400 series are among the most well-known standards and have been implemented by more than one million organizations in 175 countries worldwide.

The ISO 9000 series is about quality management. This means that the organization shall, among other:

  • meet clients’ quality requirements;
  • respects legal regulations;
  • constantly improves customer satisfaction;
  • continuously improves performance.

The ISO 14000 series is about environmental management, which means that an organization shall, among other:

  • reduce the negative impact on the environment through its activities;
  • achieve continuous improvement of performance related to environmental protection.

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 have become widespread and integrated into the global economy. ISO 9001 has become firmly rooted as a globally accepted standard that ensures assurance in the quality of products and services in customer-supplier relationships. ISO 14001 confirms its global importance for organizations that want to operate in harmony with nature. 

The positive impact of well implemented ISO standards includes the following:

  • a unified basis for global business and supply chains;
  • technical support for legislation;
  • a tool for regional integration;
  • facilitated the transfer of good practices to developing countries and economies in transition.

ISO standards are developed under strict rules to ensure they are transparent and fair. The negative side is that such rules require a large amount of time to develop each individual standard, due to the necessity of reaching consensus as well as publicizing the process.

In addition to standards, ISO organization also develops various instructions, guidelines and manuals related to standards.

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