It’s not uncommon for businesses to be hesitant when considering whether ISO certification is for them. However, it’s important that before you let caution dissuade you, you take into account the potential benefits of getting ISO compliant. Becoming certified is an investment, but when done correctly, certification combined with effective management systems can be a major contributor to brilliant results and growth for your business for many years to come.
Despite these well-documented benefits, many organisations are still resisted from pursuing ISO certification – but why is this the case? Often, individuals fall into the trap of believing common misconceptions about the compliance process.
- Implementing an ISO Certification Standard means you would have to change the way you do your business completely
ISO management systems were designed to be compatible with how you conduct business. Certain changes must be made to your business’s business processes in order to comply with the standards, but this does not mean that everything must be turned upside down. - The ISO Standards are all just government bureaucracy that doesn’t necessarily do anything good for business
This is yet another misunderstanding caused by improperly implemented management systems that ended up causing too much trouble and being cumbersome. The belief that the standard is a covert way for the government to impose its terms is unfounded. When followed religiously, the standards are beneficial to any type of business. The standards will ensure that you are meeting environmental and safety standards, as well as the requirements of your customers. - Excessive documentation is required for ISO Certification
A certain amount of paperwork and documentation is required for any business to function properly. When implementing a system based on one of the ISO standards, the number of documented procedures required is determined by the size of the company as well as its operational requirements. Yes, adding documents or documented procedures simply to meet the requirements of a standard is counterproductive and adds no value. The ISO documents, on the other hand, were not chosen at random, but were rather included to improve the company’s operations in a variety of areas. If the requirements are correctly implemented, the company, its employees, and its customers will all benefit. Internal processes will be consistent and transparent, and costs will be reduced. - Auditors are generally mean and would find some fault to fail you
Auditors are more concerned with your organization’s overall processes than with individual employees. They provide constructive feedback, both positive and negative, that can be used to improve the effectiveness of your management systems, rather than pointing out specific staff members’ flaws. Auditors bring an outside perspective, can be a valuable resource in advising you on how to improve your operations by simplifying and streamlining your processes as well as identifying areas of concern that may have been unknowingly overlooked. - It is costly to implement ISO
Various studies show that preventing problems is often less expensive than fixing them after they occur. If implemented and maintained correctly, an effective Business Management system can help to avoid problems. However, if the system does not have buy-in from all employees, particularly top management, it will be of little or no value to your company and may result in additional costs as well as distracting you from your core business activities. The bottom line is that you must be completely committed to doing things properly and correctly before you can reap any benefits.
Conclusion:
These are just a few of the many misconceptions that many people have when it comes to ISO Certification, but they should be banished from our stubborn minds because it is pointless to harbour such false information.
