ISO accreditation has several advantages for your business. As well as making your organisation more credible, it can also help to increase profitability and improve efficiency.
Although local and national government regulations apply to businesses, some may not be on a par with international standards. Even if the government regulations are of a high standard and your business follows the rules, mere compliance may not be recognised in the international market as a seal of quality.
It’s therefore crucial for any corporation or big business that wants to trade internationally to be ISO accredited. Not only will it benefit the company itself but, more importantly, it benefits customers and the community in general.
In this post:
What are the benefits of an ISO accreditation?
As we explain later on, there are several ways ISO accreditation can benefit your business.
The advantages can be external, such as increasing brand loyalty, as well as internal, for example, fostering a positive working culture.
These internal and external benefits work in synergy to make your business successful. You can simultaneously establish employee and customer trust if your business has an ISO accreditation. As a seal of quality, an ISO accreditation ensures your business complies with the international standards based on a credible and independent evaluation.
Big businesses that are operating on a global scale can apply for ISO accreditation, either as a whole or for every aspect of their operations and products.
The importance of working to a recognised standard
It’s important to work to a recognised standard if you want to be seen as credible. A business that has qualified for an ISO accreditation, which is a highly prestigious recognised international standard, is almost always guaranteed to have an excellent working environment and safety conditions. Achieving an ISO accreditation allows you to show customers, prospects and employees that you follow the best practices in the industry.
As an employee, working for a business that complies with an internationally-recognised standard means you can be confident they’ll have stringent safety protocols and equipment in place to keep you safe. This can be particularly reassuring if the company deals with potentially hazardous chemicals.
Compliance with ISO standards also means your employer has high-quality management systems and procedures for efficient working conditions.
Furthermore, businesses that are ISO accredited generally offer attractive compensation packages and employee benefits. These are typically the large national companies and multinational companies that serve a wide market.
Some of the benefits of an ISO accreditation for your business are summarised below.
1. Increased efficiency
There are various factors to consider when assessing business efficiency. One approach is to look at how resources are utilised by comparing production volume against certain raw materials. Another area to consider is logistics and market distribution as a factor of time. Efficiency can also refer to the capacity or degree of compliance of a product, service, or system in terms of meeting the standard accreditation requirements.
Following ISO standards can increase your business’ efficiency across various areas including time, resource utilisation, and capacity efficiency. As a result, your business will waste fewer resources and, crucially, be more profitable. Although it can take a significant amount of capital to become highly efficient, the long-term benefits and rewards outweigh the initial investment.
2. Improved customer trust
Customer trust can make or break your business. However, as any business owner knows, customer trust is hard to earn, especially if you’re just starting out and are in a highly competitive industry. It may take years before your business or brand becomes highly trusted by customers.
As we’ve previously mentioned, an ISO accreditation is a seal of quality. It’s therefore much easier to gain customer trust if you’re an ISO company, even if you’re a relatively new start-up.
3. Access to bigger markets
An ISO accreditation gives your business a larger market scope. It allows you to access markets that were previously inaccessible due to quality and trust barriers. For example, many large government contracts are only awarded to companies that have high standards based on ISO accreditation.
Similarly, if you want to access the international market or join a megaproject, an ISO accreditation provides the ticket. The reason is actually simple. Clients and business partners place more trust in companies that have passed the ISO accreditation process.
4. Adherence to recognised standards
Just like using the metric system, a business that adheres to internationally recognised standards can easily communicate with other companies and partners within their own industry. Facilitating communication and collaboration also promotes friendly competition among peers.
5. A stronger work culture
A strong work culture is one in which workers feel empowered, satisfied, safe, and important. Employees often feel a sense of pride in knowing that they’re contributing to the success and prestige of a business that has been awarded an ISO accreditation.
A stronger work culture also means that employees feel and think that they’re part of a socially responsible and top-quality organisation. In turn, they tend to be more passionate about their work.
How do ISO accreditations benefit the environment?
ISO accreditations emphasise sustainability and the importance of being environment-friendly. For instance, ISO14001 focuses on systematic environmental management. This aligns with the principles of green chemistry and other similar concepts.
As a result, ISO-compliant companies typically have lower carbon footprints and are more efficient and less wasteful. These companies take corporate responsibility seriously, especially when it comes to the environmental impact of their operations.
ReAgent’s ISO certifications
We have been ISO accredited for many years and currently hold the following accreditations:
- ISO 9001 for quality management
- ISO 14001 environmental certification
- ISO 13485 for quality management systems relating to medical devices
- ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety
If you’d like further details about our ISO certifications or quality standards, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to assist you.