ISO standards usually establish performance indicators.
ISO standards are rules that aim to ensure a standard in resource management , product manufacturing and service provision. These are internationally recognized provisions that guarantee a certain level of quality, safety and effectiveness in their scope of application.
It should be noted that a norm is a guideline that must be followed or that indicates how an activity or behavior should be developed. ISO , meanwhile, is the acronym for International Organization for Standardization , an entity known in our language as the International Organization for Standardization or International Organization for Standardization .
This institution, made up of different national organizations dedicated to standardization (that is, typification or regularization ), is dedicated to the establishment of the precepts that companies must comply with in certain processes or tasks if they intend to receive the corresponding certification. To monitor compliance with ISO standards, audits are carried out.
History of ISO standards
The history of ISO standards dates back to 1947 , when ISO was born with 67 technical committees. A year earlier, 65 delegates from 25 countries had met in London to discuss the creation of the organization.
Each of the ISO specialist groups focused on a specific topic for the creation of the rules. The first standard, then called recommendation , was released in 1951: ISO/R 1:1951 , linked to the reference standard temperature for length measurement in industry.
Since then, the ISO periodically publishes information on the functioning of its technical committees and administrative issues of the organization, in addition to presenting new ISO standards and possible updates to them.
It should be noted that today the ISO, whose headquarters are located in Geneva ( Switzerland ), has 169 national organizations that represent the institution in their countries. There are 820 active committees and subcommittees, while in these more than seven decades of history, almost 25,000 international standards were created that cover multiple aspects of production and administration.
There are ISO standards that outline quality objectives.
Main features
ISO standards are voluntary standards or models . This means that, for a company, it is not mandatory to have a certification of this kind to operate or to market its products.
What an ISO standard does is recognize that a product, service or process complies with certain principles that are usually linked to quality or safety . There is an international consensus on the relevance and validity of these standards, with which ISO standards function as an endorsement or endorsement .
The creation of a standard is carried out in a series of successive stages driven by the organization's committees and subcommittees. These phases include the proposal of the standard, its preparation, research, approval and finally publication. Once the standard is published, the ISO standard is already established and available to those who aspire to obtain certification.
It cannot be omitted to mention that, to obtain an ISO standard, it is not enough to pass the internal audit and have the approval of those responsible for granting it. Access to documentation requires a payment that varies depending on the standard and other factors. Therefore, anyone who wants to have an ISO certification has to pay money for it, regardless of the features or technical characteristics of their products or services.
Social responsibility can be certified with ISO standards.
Benefits of ISO standards
It is often highlighted that, by providing globally recognized standards, ISO standards contribute to the development of international trade by helping to manufacture products and offer reliable, safe and good quality services.
Another benefit of ISO standards is that they make it possible to compare products from different manufacturers, even from different countries. Thus, they make trade fairer. On the other hand, buyers and users have greater protection because the certification confirms that the good in question conforms to an international standard.
ISO standards also function as a guide to adopt more efficient work mechanisms and cooperate in the introduction of improvements in processes and systems. Those who have an ISO standard, on the other hand, have more possibilities of entering new markets and have an advantage over competitors who do not have the certification.
Some examples
ISO 9000 standards are rules associated with quality management and control. They refer to the level of service, delivery times, continuous improvement and relationship management, among other issues. ISO 9001 , in this framework, specifically refers to the quality management system , with the requirements of the model to be applied.
The ISO 14000 standards, for their part, are linked to caring for the environment. Among them, ISO 14001 stands out, which defines the establishment of an effective environmental management system.
ISO 2200 0 (regarding food safety ), ISO 31000 (on risk management) and ISO 80000 (use of formulas, units of measurement and physical quantities) are other examples of ISO standards.