International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The 21st-century world is a global village. Global trade turnover is reaching new highs every day, and ensuring seamless quality, safety, and efficiency standards is more important than ever.

This is the reason the International Organization for Standardization was introduced. Since its inception, ISO has become a benchmark of international and regional standards worldwide. The International Organization for Standardization not only provides a framework for businesses to improve their operations but also ensures that products and services are safe, reliable, and of high quality.

What is ISO?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, nongovernmental organization made up of national standards bodies that develops and publishes a wide range of proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards.

The ISO has 167 members, all of whom belong to 167 member countries. That means each country has one representative in the organization. The American National Standards Institute represents the United States.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 in London, United Kingdom. Its current headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. The International Organization for Standardization published over 24,500 international standards covering a wide range of sectors, from agriculture to healthcare and the environment to technology, as of March 2024.

Why was ISO created?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was established in 1947, which was the post-World War 2 era.

The whole world saw a lot of destruction during World War 2, and it needed a collective effort from all countries to rebuild what was destroyed.
Several key factors, including fostering international trade, quality, safety, and technical growth across industries, also pushed the world to create a common international organization.

Since its inception in 1947, the International Organization for Standards has somewhat achieved all of its objectives. Post-World War construction is over, and we have seamless international trade standards approved by almost all countries.

What is the development process of ISO standards?

Developing any ISO standard is a collaborative process that ensures the involvement of experts from various industries, governments, academia and other relevant stakeholders worldwide.

All ISO standards are developed using a transparent, consensus-based process to ensure global recognition without conflicts. Here are some of the key stages of the ISO standard development process.

1. Initial Proposal Stage

The development of any ISO standard begins with a new Work Item Proposal (WIP). It is the initial step of where a proposal can come from any ISO member country or a technical committee.

Once a new work item proposal has been proposed, all ISO members will vote to decide whether the proposal should proceed. A proposal is considered approved with a simple majority vote and forms a working group.

2. Working Draft Development

The working group, from the initial stage, will start developing a working draft of the new standard that outlines the proposed content, structure and technical specifications.

The working draft can be revised several times based on feedback from members of the technical committee. The team also discusses all the relevant aspects and potential challenges of the new standard.

3. Committee Stage

The third step to develop the new ISO standard is the committee stage, where experts and stakeholders from different member countries give feedback about the draft and propose revisions.

The new standard must gain consensus among all committee members during the committee stage. The drafting team will consider all feedback and may make revisions to ensure that the draft satisfies the concerns of all stakeholders.

4. Draft International Standard (DIS)

Once the technical committee has passed the draft and made all the revisions, the document becomes a DIS, which is circulated to all ISO member bodies for a formal vote. During this stage, all board members may raise their comments and ask for revisions.

5. Approval and Publication

Once the draft is revised based on the feedback, then its formally submitted for final voting.

All member countries will vote on the draft, and a two-thirds majority vote is required from members participating in the process, with no more than ¼ votes against the standard. With successful voting, the standard is published as an official ISO standard.

6. Revisions

Even if a standard has received two-third majority votes, the work does not stop here.

The world changes every day, and standards should change based on feedback and new Circumstances. ISO standards undergo a regular review every five years. The revision committee may propose a new standard or revisions to existing standards.

What are the top ISO standards?

Since its inception, ISO has introduced more than 24,500 standards across various sectors. Here are the top 10 most popular ISO standards that are applied globally.

ISO 9001: Quality management systems (QMS)
ISO 14001: Environmental Management System (EMS)
ISO 27001: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)
ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
ISO 42001: AI management systems
ISO 22000: Food Safety and Management
ISO 50001: Energy Management System
ISO 13485: Quality Management Systems for Medical Devices
ISO 31000: Risk Management
ISO 26000: Corporate Social Responsibility
ISO 17025: General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories

What is ISO certification?

An ISO certification is a formal recognition that an organization or product complies with an ISO standard.

This certificate indicates to everyone that an organization follows best practices, meets high quality standards, and is committed to continuous improvements in the specific areas covered by the standard.

Though ISO certification is mostly voluntary, many organizations that obtained different ISO certificates to demonstrate their commitment towards safety, quality, efficiency and sustainability.

What are the benefits of obtaining ISO certification?

ISO certification is not mandatory, but companies obtain the certificate for its wide range of benefits. Here are some of the key benefits for an organization:

1. Enhance the Credibility and Repetition

Obtaining an ISO certification indicates to your customers that your organization is committed to quality work. Many companies worldwide only deal with organizations with ISO certificates.

2. Improved Risk Management

Most ISO certificates include a risk management framework that identifies and mitigates risks associated with certain products and services. These frameworks also help organizations proactively identify and assess potential risks.

3. Regulatory Compliance

ISO certification may also help your organization comply with international, national, and regional regulations. Several industries, including healthcare, food safety, and information security, are highly regulated, and organizations working in these industries must comply with regulations.

4. Increased Customer Trust

Certain ISO standards, such as ISO 9001, are centered on beating customer expectations and improving satisfaction. A certified organization can inform customers of quality control, product consistency and continuous improvements.

5. Improved Business

An ISO certificate is often the first criterion to take business internationally. Top multinational companies and governments require their suppliers and partners to be ISO certified.

As we have discussed, certain industries, such as healthcare and information technology, are highly regulated and having a certain ISO certificate may take your business internationally.

How to get an ISO certificate?

Giving an ISO certificate is a tedious, but Straightforward process that leads to a successful certification.

Prerequisites

First, the organization should choose the relevant ISO standard that perfectly aligns with its business goals and objectives.
After that, the organization should hire a lead implementer. The lead implementer is a professional who will Guide and help an organization obtain an ISO certificate.

Certification Process

Now, the organization should select the certifying body. There are numerous ISO certifying bodies worldwide, and the organization should choose one Based on its requirements and the suggestions of the lead implementer.
Once the organization has finalized the certifying body, it’s time to start the pre-audit preparation and self-assessment under the guidance of the lead implementer.
The lead implementer will guide the Organization through every step and help it perform internal audits, gap analyses, and document preparation.
After performing internal audits and all other pre-audit preparations, the organization is ready to formally apply for a certification audit by an independent third party, also known as a certifying body.

Once the independent third party or certifying body has successfully performed the audit, it will issue the certificate. All ISO certificates are valid for three years and require annual surveillance audits. The setting body will perform a recertification audit at the end of every three years to ensure that an organization is still following all the standards and complying with the regulations.

What is the cost of an ISO certificate?

The cost of an ISO certificate can range between $1000 and $100,000, depending on several factors, including the size and complexity of the organization and the type of the certificate. Here is the estimated cost of some of the most common ISO certificates.

ISO 9001: Quality Management Systems: $5,000 to $40,000
ISO/IEC 20000: IT Service Management: $8,000 to $50,000
ISO 22301: Business Continuity Management Systems: $10,000 to $60,000
ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management Systems: $10,000 to $70,000
ISO/IEC 27018: Cloud Privacy: $10,000 to $60,000
ISO/IEC 27701: Privacy Information Management Systems: $12,000 to $65,000
ISO/IEC 42001: AI Management Systems: $15,000 to $75,000
ISO 50001: Energy Management Systems: $10,000 to $50,000

All Prices are in USD*. These are the estimated prices.

What are the top ISO certifying bodies?

The International Organization for Standardization does not issue certificates to organizations. In fact, an independent organization or certifying body experienced in ISO issues certificates after performing an audit.

BSI Group (British Standards Institution)
TÜV SÜD
SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance)
Exemplar Global
DNV (Det Norske Veritas)
Lloyd’s Register (LRQA)
Bureau Veritas
Intertek
DEKRA
SAI Global

What is ISO Training for Individuals?

Individuals can get trained in ISO standards and help organizations acquire ISO certificates. ISO Training can help professionals acquire the necessary skills to help organisations acquire ISO certificates.

There are two major types of ISO training, known as Lead Implementer and Lead Auditor. Lead implementers are the professionals who help and guide organizations in complying with the ISO standards and formally applying to a certifying body to acquire a specific ISO standard certificate.

Lead Auditors are the professionals who perform the final audit and give organizations an ISO certificate. The lead implementers work with independent third-party certifying bodies and ensure unbiased audits.

What are the benefits of ISO training?

ISO training offers a unique skill set and valuable knowledge to individuals and professionals. As discussed above, there are two major types of ISO training and various benefits to trainees.

1. Improved employability

ISO training offers a unique skill set and valuable knowledge to individuals and professionals. As discussed above, there are two major types of ISO training and various benefits to trainees.

2. Competitive edge in the market

Having an ISO training certificate on your resume may help you stand out in the job market. ISO is an internationally recognized standard that gives individuals a competitive edge.

3. Enhanced skill set

ISO training offers a strong foundation for ISO standards and enhances the learner’s skillset. The training also provides expertise in specific standards such as risk management (ISO 31000) or health and safety (ISO 45001).

4. Career Advancements and Promotions

Career advancements and promotions are another common benefit of ISO training. Knowledge and training of ISO Vendors may help open doors to leadership roles and career advancements. ISO training is the primary step for roles like Quality assurance manager, compliance officer and lead auditor.

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