ISO Standards - everything you need to know

ISO (International Organization of Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from more than 160 countries.

The aim of ISO is to develop and publish a wide range of industrial, commercial and proprietary standards. Contrary to popular belief, the “ISO” name does not come from the English language, but from the Greek word “isos”, meaning equal. It is worth to mention that the organization is not influenced by the government or entrepreneurs and is fully independent.

ISO standards are documents developed by international experts in various fields. They are universal in nature and can be used by both private and state organizations and companies. These documents regulate the functioning of companies on many levels and contain information on various aspects of business. Risk reduction, improvement of work efficiency and effectiveness are just some of the benefits of implementing such standards in the organization.

Currently, one of the most frequently implemented standards are those from the series:

• 9000 – define the principles of quality management
• 1400 – concern environmental management
• 1800- focus on the operation of occupational health and safety systems
• 2700 – define information security management
• 2800 – related to risk management

The ISO 9001 standard is one of the most popular standards with which compliance is confirmed by external certifications.

It is used in any organization that needs to demonstrate the ability to continuously deliver products that are compliant with customer requirements and applicable regulations, and strives to increase customer satisfaction (according to ISO 9001, a service is also a product).