FAQ

Standards are documents that set out specifications, procedures and guidelines that aim to ensure products, services, and systems are safe, consistent, and reliable.

There are three categories of Standards:

1) International Standards: Developed by ISO, IEC and ITU for countries to adopt for national use.

2) Regional Standards: Prepared by a specific region. Such as the European Union’s EN standards, or joint Australian/New Zealand standards.

3) National Standards: Developed either by a national standards body or other accredited bodies.

ISO’s initiative is to combine these various national and regional Standards into internationally applicable Standards.

ISO Standards are designed to suit any size of Organisation from small businesses to multinational corporations.

With 21,584 international Standards already being published, ISO Standards can be implemented to companies working in all kind of industries, non-governmental Organisations and governmental Organisations alike.

There are more than 20,000 ISO Standards.

Some apply to all organisations. Others are specific to certain industries.

When choosing a Standard, consider:

• Your industry sector
• Customer or supplier requirements
• Areas your business is committed to (e.g. quality, safety, environment)
• Size and complexity of your operation

Our recommendation: start with ISO 9001 Quality Certificate.

ISO 9001 certifies that your products and services are produced efficiently and delivered to a high standard. It’s the most widely used ISO Standard worldwide and works for businesses of any size.

ISO certification is an external audit. It confirms that your organisation operates in line with a specific ISO Standard’s requirements.

You can be certified against many different ISO Standards, including:

• ISO 9001 — Quality Management
• ISO 45001 — Health and Safety Management
• ISO 14001 — Environmental Management
• ISO 27001 — Information Security

Certification shows your organisation follows international best practice. The benefits include:

• A stronger market position
• Lower operating costs
• Greater customer and stakeholder trust
• Easier compliance with local regulations

ISO Standards are voluntary. The International Standards Organisation is a non-governmental Organisation that’s primary interest is the design and implementation of Standards. However, it has no power to enforce these Standards.

ISO certification is usually optional. Most organisations choose it to build credibility and show that their products and services consistently meet expectations.

Common reasons to certify include:

• Standing out during tendering and procurement
• Demonstrating compliance to clients and regulators
• Improving internal systems and consistency
• Opening doors to new markets

How the process works:

• A third-party auditor reviews your implementation of the Standard
• If you meet the requirements, the Certification Body issues your certificate
• Surveillance audits take place each year to confirm ongoing compliance

For more information, visit Telarc, a leading Certification Body in New Zealand.

Prior to the certification Audit, the Management System needs to be designed and implemented. The time this takes varies from project to project and depends on the lead time of the certification body but usually ranges from 2- 6 months.

The Audit itself can take anywhere from hours to days, depending on the characteristics of your Organisation. Once the successful implementation has been demonstrated during the Audit, the certification will arrive in a matter of hours.

The pricing of ISO certification is highly dependent and various factors need to be taken into consideration, such as the size of the operation, the number of existing sites, quality of existing documents/records, maturity of existing systems as well as the extent of support required.

Please get in touch with us to give you a customise no-obligation quotation!

Kaizen Consulting offers practicable and achievable consultancy solutions specialised in compliance management systems, quality assurance and control, business process improvements and lean manufacturing.

We develop customised Management Systems, handbooks, processes and procedures targeted at making the most of your company’s processes and procedures and to help you to achieve the certification.

We offer:

• Expertise;
• Fixed fee’s;
• Realistic timelines;
• Working around your schedule;
• Development of efficient and practical processes;
• Adaptation of standards to suit your Organisation; and
• Support and guidance through ought the implementation and certification process.

Implementing ISO Standards yourself often turns out to be inefficient and time-consuming. Using a Consultant ensures that your Organisation is getting the most of your Management System and that Standards are implemented on budget, on time.

Kaizen Consulting has a proven track record of working with diverse industries and businesses. Contact us today to learn how our team of specialised experts can help your Organisation with the implementation of ISO.

Contact us today to discuss your receive an obligation-free consultation on your project.