ISO Index

ISO Overview

What is ISO?

ISO is the recognized short name for the International organisation For Standardizations, an international agency consisting of over 162 Member countries.

” IOS ” ? Is not an acronym “ISO” is a word, derived from the Greek isos, meaning “equal “.

During the 1950s, as countries were trading with one another and each country had their own Standards of doing work, prices and economies of scale was a challenge to determine the cost and quality of a product. The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Based in Switzerland, Geneva allowed countries to standardise standards and hence the establishment of ISO.

Each country has one equal vote when deciding on international Standard adoption approvals or changes. The South African representative to ISO is South African Bureau of Standards, however the South African National Accreditation System is responsible for The accreditation of organisations such as the South African Bureau Of Standards (SABS), verifying that it is a competent certification body.

Becoming certified involves a process of improvement and once your organisation complies with the standards, you’ll experience improved customer satisfaction and consequently relations, as well as an enhanced work environment. Your workforce will be motivated and you’ll have a way to constantly develop the methods for completing tasks at your company.

The approach focuses on the implementation of efficient work methods that are aligned with your company’s objects, ensuring a set of policies and procedures that will not frustrate workers. Certification isn’t just for large international corporations.

Benefits of certification

Even if you have a small business you’ll benefit from effective quality management through:

• Time and cost savings
• Improved productivity and customer satisfaction
• Your organisation’s senior management will have efficient ways to manage areas of responsibility will be clearly defined.
• Once certified, you’ll gain credibility in the industry and a competitive edge, especially when tendering for public work projects.

Certification shows your customers that you follow standardised procedures and gives them the assurance of consistency. You also benefit from quality measures. Once the systems are in place you can ensure on-time and high quality service delivery, fewer return products, less time spent in handling complaints, and improved employee attitudes.