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Freeing up time, optimizing resources and giving value to people: certifications
companies aim to improve and make processes more efficient. Goal from
reach? Greater competitiveness .
Certifications are synonymous with guarantee and quality also for customers, suppliers,
clients because they ensure compliance with a process and quality standards
and the compliance of company management systems with technical standards.
Company certifications: what are they?
The concept of quality standards has ancient roots, but the use of formal certifications began in the 20th century. The need to ensure product quality and safety during the industrial revolution led to the adoption of standardized standards and procedures.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 and has become a point of reference for the development of international standards. These standards cover a wide range of areas, including quality, environment, safety and more.
SA, or Food Safety, certifications later developed to specifically address food safety. Organizations such as the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) have helped establish global standards to ensure food safety.
Both ISO and SA certifications are important for several reasons. First, these certifications help establish global standards for quality, safety and efficiency in their respective industries. This ensures that consumers receive high-quality and safe products and services. Secondly, certifications improve the competitiveness of companies, allowing them to access new markets and gain customer trust. Finally, by promoting sustainable and safe practices, these certifications contribute to protection
of the environment and public health.
What are they for
Conformity, quality, competitiveness are the key words that must guide companies towards the choice of obtaining certifications.
Certifications that are used to monitor company progress in various areas and fields ranging from welfare improvements, human resources, safety, cybersecurity, production and product standards, sustainability.
Due to the multiplicity of processes and topics to be certified, it is difficult to report them all (there are more than a hundred), but some are essential to accompany company growth. For greater clarity, we will move towards knowledge of certifications
essential elements to start from, imagining them as a pyramid (or cascade) system.
It starts with the company, then its social responsibility and, finally, the security of information and personal data, of customers and stakeholders.
The ISO 9001, SA8000 and ISO27001 certifications correspond to these three macro areas (or these three areas).
Focus on: certifications
ISO 9001 certification is an international standard that establishes the requirements for a quality management system (QMS) within an organization.
This standard provides a detailed and standardized framework that companies can follow to ensure that their internal processes are well managed, efficient and quality-oriented.
In other words, it is a set of rules and guidelines designed to help companies ensure that their products or services meet or exceed customer expectations.
What does it take to get it?
The process of obtaining certification, in particular, ISO 9001 – although many steps are a common routine for certifications – involves the following steps:
- Preparation : The company familiarizes itself with the ISO 9001 standard and considers whether to engage in the certification process.
- Process analysis : The company analyzes its internal processes to identify areas that require improvement and to ensure that they comply with the requirements of ISO 9001.
- Quality Management System Design : The company develops a quality management system (QMS) based on the ISO 9001 standard. This system defines specific procedures, responsibilities and objectives to ensure quality.
- Implementation : The company implements the QMS and ensures that all employees are informed and trained on the procedures.
- Assessment : An independent certification body assesses the company's QMS system for compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001.
- Certification : If the QMS system successfully passes the evaluation, the company receives ISO 9001 certification.
Certification is important because:
– aims to improve the quality of products and services;
– guarantees an increase in customer trust;
– gives operational efficiency to company processes.
– improves competitiveness: many organizations require their suppliers to be ISO 9001 certified.
– it is sustainable because the management system helps monitor and reduce environmental impact.
Therefore, if we talk about sustainability, we will delve into the SA8000 certification which has made social responsibility an essential requirement for guaranteeing human rights.
According to the scheme common to ISO 9001 in the process of obtaining certification which always passes through the essential steps of (preparation, analysis, implementation, evaluation and certification), SA 8000, on the other hand, is important because:
– demonstrates the company's social commitment to observing human rights and workers' rights;
– nourishes the company's reputation and the trust of its customers;
– undertakes to respect international regulations on rights;
– makes the company's commitment ethical and encourages partnerships with stakeholders who are attentive and sensitive to social issues.
Finally, ISO 27001 certification is a standard that establishes the requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). This system is designed to ensure the protection of information within an organization, including sensitive information, customer data and other business information.
In addition to the steps already exposed, two intermediate audit steps are added (internal audit for the verification of the safety management system and a third-party audit for the verification of compliance of the management system).
The certification is used for:
– protect sensitive company information from internal and external threats;
– help meet data protection and information security regulations;
– strengthens the trust of customers and business partners in terms of privacy and security of their sensitive data;
– reduce risks related to information security, including data loss, breaches and damage to the company image;
– increases competitiveness as many companies look for secure partners for the exchange of information.
BUT IT DOESN'T END HERE...
If certifications on the one hand are a seal of quality and guarantee, the path to obtaining them remains the fundamental part of the work and must be carried out with a far-sighted perspective, for several reasons:
– many certifications have a limited duration in time and require intermediate checks by the certifying body to verify compliance with the standards even beyond obtaining accreditation: this is to avoid the risk that the certification turns out to be just a "stamp" ” and not a way of operating, living and imagining corporate quality which, instead, is determined by dynamic human, environmental and social factors and which require care and constant work to meet standards;
– the path starts from a phase of reflection and study on the part of the company and this process is the first piece on which the entire process depends: without an assessment of the "state of health" of one's company or organisation, there would be no certification: the desire to improve and optimize oneself remains a fundamental step that requires the advice of a team of experts .
NOW IT'S UP TO US
Taking the path towards certification takes on increased value if you choose to be supported by a team of experts in business dynamics who facilitate virtuous change through business coaching.
In fact, with corporate coaching:
– the process is planned according to objectives and customized according to the needs of the company;
– it is possible to have a consultation and specialized guidance in achieving the objectives;
– the stress that comes from managing a complex matter is reduced;
– confidence is fostered by its stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of the actions undertaken for the certification process: an expert figure is always a symptom of the quality of the work carried out.
MAD has been working in the world of consultancy for more than twenty years and has made coaching a way of being a "company", in which growth and the achievement of objectives pass through the evolution of one's business, which is only possible if: administrators, employees and stakeholders cooperate virtuously and with awareness to achieve the objective of virtuous and responsible change.
If you are interested or intrigued by our work and the way we do it with passion, in this section you will find many useful insights to learn about the world of business consultancy and the ethical way in which we understand it.
If you would like to receive advice from one of our experts or have more information on the topic, you can write to us here info@management-advisor.eu or contact us here .
At MAD we put enthusiasm in everything we do and we like it when it becomes contagious.
