ISO CERTIFICATION
BGMEA University Fashion and Technology
What?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
is an international standard-setting body composed of
representatives from various national standards organizations.
The International Organization for Standardization is an
independent, non-governmental organization.
Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promotes
worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial standards.
It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and it works in
162 countries.
What are standards?
International Standards make things work. They
give world-class specifications for products,
services and systems, to ensure quality, safety
and efficiency. They are instrumental in
facilitating international trade.
ISO has published 22063 International
Standards and related documents, covering
almost every industry, from technology, to food
safety, to agriculture and healthcare. ISO
International Standards impact everyone,
everywhere.
History
The organization today known as ISO began in 1926 as
the International Federation of the National
Standardizing Associations (ISA).
It was suspended in 1942 during World War II, but after
the war ISA was approached by the recently formed
United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee
(UNSCC) with a proposal to form a new global
standards body.
In October 1946, ISA and UNSCC delegates from 25
countries met in London and agreed to join forces to
create the new International Organization for
Standardization; the new organization officially began
operations in February 1947.
Benefits of ISO standards
It started with the obvious things like weights and
measures, and over the last 50 years has
developed into a family of standards that cover
everything from the shoes we stand in, to the Wi-
Fi networks that connect us invisibly to each other.
Addressing all these and more, International
Standards mean that consumers can have
confidence that their products are safe, reliable
and of good quality.
ISO's standards on road safety, toy safety and
secure medical packaging are just a few of those
that help make the world a safer place.
Benefits of ISO standards
Regulators and governments count on ISO standards
to help develop better regulation, knowing they have a
sound basis thanks to the involvement of globally-
established experts.
To find out more about how ISO's 22063 standards
touch almost all aspects of daily life, and work for
businesses large and small, you can see standards in
action.
With International Standards on air, water and soil
quality, on emissions of gases and radiation, and
environmental aspects of products, they protect the
health of the planet and people, beyond bringing
economic benefits.
Certification
Certification – the provision by an
independent body of written assurance (a
certificate) that the product, service or system
in question meets specific requirements.
Accreditation
Accreditation – the formal recognition by an
independent body, generally known as an
accreditation body, that a certification body
operates according to international standards.
Membership
ISO has three membership categories:
Member bodies are national bodies considered the
most representative standards body in each country.
These are the only members of ISO that have voting
rights.
Correspondent members are countries that do not
have their own standards organization. These
members are informed about ISO's work, but do not
participate in standards promulgation.
Subscriber members are countries with small
economies. They pay reduced membership fees, but
can follow the development of standards.
Accreditation vs Certification
Certification represents a written assurance by a third party
of the conformity of a product, process or service to specified
requirements.
Accreditation, on the other hand, is the formal recognition by
an authoritative body of the competence to work to specified
standards. All accreditation standards include the
principles of quality management systems, such as those
found in the well-recognized ISO 9001 QMS standard.
Certification is the third-party endorsement of an
organization's systems or products, while accreditation is an
independent third-party endorsement of the certification.
Organizations receive accreditation for specific activities
whereas certification relates to the company as a whole.
Financing
ISO is funded by a combination of:
Organizations that manage the specific projects
or loan experts to participate in the technical
work.
Subscriptions from member bodies. These
subscriptions are in proportion to each
country's gross national product and trade figures.
Sale of standards.
Development process of ISO
Stage
Stage Associated document name
code
00 Preliminary Preliminary work item
10 Proposal New work item proposal
20 Preparatory Working draft or drafts
30 Committee Committee draft or drafts
40 Enquiry Enquiry draft
50 Approval Final draft
60 Publication International Standard
90 Review
95 Withdrawal
ISO Certification
Standards all have the same basic purpose of setting
out agreed principles or criteria.
Different subject areas and different user groups
have needs for differing forms and levels of
standardization.
Depending upon your industry, there are various
types of ISO Certification that UAE Certification
Bodies can offer.
ISO 9000 - Quality Management
System
ISO 9000 family addresses various aspects of quality
management and contains some of ISO’s best known
standards.
ISO 9000 - Quality Management
System
ISO 9001:2015 - sets out the requirements of a quality management
system.
ISO 9000:2015 - covers the basic concepts and language.
ISO 9004:2009 - focuses on how to make a quality management system
more efficient and effective.
ISO 19011:2011 - sets out guidance on internal and external audits of
quality management systems.
ISO 14000 - Environmental
Management System
ISO 14000 family of standards provides practical
tools for companies and organizations of all kinds
looking to manage their environmental
responsibilities.
ISO 14001:2015 and its supporting standards such
as ISO 14006:2011 focus on environmental systems
to achieve this.
OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health &
Safety Management
It can help you put in place the policies, procedures
and controls needed for your organization to
achieve the best possible working conditions,
aligned to internationally recognized best practice.
ISO 27001 Information Security
Management System
Best practice framework for an information security
management system.
It helps you identify the risks to your important
information and put in place the appropriate
controls to help reduce the risk.
ISO 22000 Food Safety Management
System
ISO 22000 is an international standard that defines
the requirements of a food safety management
system covering all organizations in the food chain
from “farm to fork”.
With an ISO Certification to show off in your
resume, your worth will increase by orders of
magnitude.
