The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) started in 1947 and is the world's largest developer of standards. Between 1947 and the present day, ISO has published more than 15 000 International Standards.
Although ISO's principal activity is the development of technical standards, ISO standards also have important and significant economic and social impacts worldwide. ISO standards make a positive difference, not just to engineers and manufacturers for whom they solve basic problems in production and distribution, but to all society as a whole.
ISO’s official description of itself includes the following extracts:
If there were no standards, we would soon notice. Standards make an enormous contribution to most aspects of our lives - although very often, that contribution is invisible. It is when there is an absence of standards that their importance is brought home.
The International Standards which ISO develops are very useful. They are useful to industrial and business organizations of all types, to governments and other regulatory bodies, to trade officials, to conformity assessment professionals, to suppliers and customers of products and services in both public and private sectors, and, ultimately, to people in general in their roles as consumers and end users.
ISO standards contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner. They make trade between countries easier and fairer. They provide governments with a technical base for health, safety and environmental legislation. They aid in transferring technology to developing countries. ISO standards also serve to safeguard consumers, and users in general, of products and services – as well as to make their lives simpler.
For example, as purchasers or users of products, we soon notice when they turn out to be of poor quality, do not fit, are incompatible with equipment we already have, are unreliable or dangerous. When products meet our expectations, we tend to take this for granted. We are usually unaware of the role played by standards in raising levels of quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability - as well as in providing such benefits at an economical cost.
Although ISO's principal activity is the development of technical standards, ISO standards also have important economic and social repercussions. ISO standards make a positive difference, not just to engineers and manufacturers for whom they solve basic problems in production and distribution, but to society as a whole.
When things go well - for example, when systems, machinery and devices work well and safely - then it is because they conform to standards. And the organization responsible for many thousands of the standards which benefit society worldwide is ISO.
ISO Management Standards such as ISO 9001 are generic management standards and as such they are not compulsory, but it is proven ‘best practice’ for all organisations which want to consistently and successfully manage their operations thereby providing high quality products and services to their customers.
Accreditation Bodies such as the International Accreditation Agency (IAA) inspect and license the activities of accredited Certification Bodies such as IMS Certification Limited to carry out external audits of organisation’s Management Systems against ISO International Standards, including:
Yes, it is a requirement of ISO Standards that organisations are required to have their Management Systems externally audited by a Certification Body each year. Organisations are also required to undertake an annual internal Management System Audit.
Yes, independent research clearly shows that ISO Standards give organisations a clear ‘Competitive Advantage’ over their rivals. ISO certified companies gain competitive advantage over their rivals, including:
You do not need to employ any external consultants as we will take care of the whole process for you.
IMS Certification’s slogan of ‘Certification made simple’ really does work. We will ensure the whole process is undertaken with the least disruption to your business and we provide a guarantee to ensure you will gain ‘Certification within 30 days’. Your IMS Consultant will be your dedicated Account Manager, ensuring you have all the on-going support and assistance you require to gain, and retain your Certification Registration.
IMS Certification provides a unique and comprehensive range of Business Templates (Forms), Toolkits and Training Resources available to IMS Customers only.
IMS Certification also provides a range of ISO accredited and certificated on-line Training programmes for those organisations wishing to access additional training resources for their staff.
IMS online Training Programmes include:
Internal Auditor Programme
Implementing: Integrated Management Systems (IMS)
Implementing: Quality Management Systems (QMS)
Implementing: Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
Implementing: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)
Implementing: Health & Safety Management Systems (HSMS)
Your IMS Consultant will discuss your specific training requirements with you.
An IMS Certification Registration Certificate for any of the ISO Standards is issued for a 10 year period. To retain your registration, you are required to undertake a successful annual external Audit.
Your IMS Consultant will fully explain the ISO certification process with you.
With IMS Certification, your organisation can achieve ISO certification within just 30 days! You are also assured that there will be very little disruption to your organisation and your management time involved in the certification process will be kept to a minimum.
IMS Certification’s philosophy of ‘Keep it simple’ involves just three simple steps to successful certification:
Step 1: Presentation
An IMS Assessor visits your Company and explains the ‘Certification made simple’ process. You then select the Standards for which you require Certification.
Step 2: Assessment
Your IMS Assessor will inspect those activities that ‘directly affect the Quality’ of your Products and Services and where required, a programme is developed to resolve any areas of ‘Non-Compliance.’
An Integrated Management System (IMS) Manual is produced and Assessed to meet Certification requirements of each Standard. The Assessment process usually only takes 1 – 2 days.
Step 3: Certification
Upon Certification, your Company is presented with its Registration Certificate. An annual external Audit is required to retain your Certification Registration.
The ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems (QMS) Standard is primarily concerned with ‘Quality Management’ issues. It is a generic standard, and as such can be applied to any size or type of organisation, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public agency or government department. It is the most widely used quality standard in the world.
The ISO 9001 Standard includes the following main sections:
Quality Management System (QMS) Requirements
Management Responsibility
Resource Management
Product Realisation
Measurement Analysis and Improvement
If you would like to know more about ISO standards, please download our on-line brochures.
All organisations, regardless of size or sector, strive to provide their customers with good quality products and services. This is best achieved in a quality culture that permeates all aspects and parts of the organisation. ISO 9001 is vital to establishing optimal working practices, which can enhance profit as well as customer satisfaction. In today’s competitive business climate, it is the most successful companies that recognise the importance of having a proven and externally assessed Quality Management System in place. ISO 9001 can be adopted by any organisation wishing to implement a formal quality framework which will help improve customer satisfaction levels, internal efficiency and employee involvement.
In our experience, most companies and organisations, in carrying out their day to day functions are already meeting most of the requirements of ISO Management System Standards. Our unique ‘Certification made simple’ approach ensures that you will achieve ISO Certification within 30 days, with minimum input of your management time and minimum disruption to your company or organisation.
With IMS Certification Limited, your organisation is ‘Guaranteed ‘certification within 30 days’ and benefits from a risk-free ‘No Certificate – No Fee’ promise.
Organisations successfully achieving certification against ISO Standards are entered onto the prestigious ‘International ISO Register,’ which is freely available to the public and certification bodies to search and confirm company certification registrations.
Your Next Step
If you would like to discuss your specific certification requirements further, please use the on-line Enquiry Form.
The ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Standard is primarily concerned with ‘Environmental Management’ issues. It is a generic standard, and as such can be applied to any size or type of organisation, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public agency or government department. It is the most widely used quality standard in the world. The ISO 14001 Standard includes the following main sections:
Environmental Management System (EMS) Requirements
Planning
Implementation / Operation
Checking / Corrective Action
Management Review
If you would like to know more about ISO standards, please download our on-line brochures.
Environmental impact is now an important issue across the globe with pressure to minimise impact coming from a number of key sources:
Governments/Regulators
Environmental concerns and climate change have lead to increasingly complex regulations covering power consumption, pollution and emissions. Cross border trading zones such as the European Union has been very active in issuing environmental directives which are then adopted Within the legal structure of participating countries.
Supply Chains
Most large organizations and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), now require their suppliers to adopt environmentally friendly practices by having an EMS in place.
Tenders and Trade Associations
Most Tenders within the Public and Corporate Sectors now require suppliers to have an EMS in place. Most Trade Associations are now also recommending EMS compliance for their members.
Financial and Social
Poor environmental practice can easily affect share prices, public perception and stakeholder confidence in organisations. Adverse Environmental incidents can be costly through penalties. There is now a world-wide public consensus about environmental impact which is increasing the pressure for all organisations to:
- become more environmentally efficient and minimise harmful effects on the environment
- comply with environmental regulations and meet environmental objectives/targets
ISO 14001 certification is not a legal requirement, however, the environment is widely becoming accepted by governments and businesses in becoming a crucial facet of concern for all communities. Most companies opt to achieve certification for key business and environmental reasons including:
Improvements In Organisations Efficiency And Effectiveness
Compliance With Environmental Regulations
Lower Costs And Wastage And Increased Environmental Performance
With IMS Certification Limited, your organisation is ‘Guaranteed ‘certification within 30 days’ and benefits from a risk-free ‘No Certificate – No Fee’ promise.
Organisations successfully achieving certification against ISO Standards are entered onto the prestigious ‘International ISO Register,’ which is freely available to the public and certification bodies to search and confirm company certification registrations.
Your Next Step
If you would like to discuss your specific certification requirements further, please use the on-line Enquiry Form.
The ISO 27001:2005 Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Standard is primarily concerned with ‘Information Security Management’ issues. It is a generic standard, and as such can be applied to any size or type of organisation, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public agency or government department.
The ISO 27001 Standard includes the following main sections:
Information Security Management System (ISMS) Requirements
Management Responsibility
Internal ISMS Audits
Management ISMS Review
ISMS Improvement
If you would like to know more about ISO standards, please download our on-line brochures.
Information is vital for every organisation however large or small. Depending on the circumstances, the loss of information to an organisation could be insignificant or catastrophic. It is only by defining an accurate value of information, any potential loss of that information and the value of access that a true balance can be struck. An ISMS framework provides controls and processes that can be defined that mitigate any threat yet ensuring appropriate access is available and controlled to those who need it.
Information is vital to large organisations such as banks which typically hold detailed information on millions of customers, individuals and businesses. Conflicting requirements from users means that this information must be kept secure from theft and yet accessible for day to day use. For smaller organisations there are different information needs and requirements but the bottom line is that even a single customer record is of value. Therefore, an ISMS is just as relevant to all types and sizes of organisations because information is a valuable asset and even more so in the highly technological world in which we live.
Although ISO 27001 certification is not a legal requirement, most companies opt to achieve certification for key business reasons including:
Improvements in organisations efficiency and effectiveness
Enhanced customer confidence
Reducing the likelihood of information misuse and fraud
Competitive advantage over rivals
Requirement within ‘invitations to tender’ and ‘supply chains’
Meeting legal requirements
With IMS Certification Limited, your organisation is ‘Guaranteed ‘certification within 30 days’ and benefits from a risk-free ‘No Certificate – No Fee’ promise.
Organisations successfully achieving certification against ISO Standards are entered onto the prestigious ‘International ISO Register,’ which is freely available to the public and certification bodies to search and confirm company certification registrations.
Your Next Step
If you would like to discuss your specific certification requirements further, please use the on-line Enquiry Form.
The OHSAS 18001:1999 Health and Safety Management Systems (HSMS) Standard is primarily concerned with ‘Health and Safety Management’ issues. It is a generic standard, and as such can be applied to any size or type of organisation, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public agency or government department.
The OHSAS 18001 Standard includes the following main sections:
Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) Requirements
Health and safety Policy
HSMS Planning
Implementation and Operation
Checking and Corrective Action
Management Review
If you would like to know more about ISO standards, please download our on-line brochures.
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OHSAS 18001 can be adopted by any organisation wishing to implement a formal framework for reducing Health and Safety risks in the working environment for employees, customers and the general public.
In almost all countries, organisations are required to adhere to Health and Safety legislation. The formal adoption of OHSAS 18001 makes abundant sense as it enables employers to reduce their legal liability, insurance risks and the possibility of enforcement action or fines from Government Health and Safety agencies.
OHSAS 18001:1999 certification is not a legal requirement, however, the number of companies facing litigation costs due to Health and Safety related negligence cases from employees is soaring due to the proliferation of ‘no-win-no-fee’ legal services.
Directors and officers of companies can also prevent cases of criminal negligence by ensuring an externally audited management system covering Health and Safety is in place.
In most cases, insurance companies will not cover Health and Safety related legal costs where the company has been negligent in not adequately maintaining a Health and Safety Management System. Usually, the onus is on the company to prove that to its insurers that it has an externally audited HSMS in place.
Most companies opt to achieve certification for key reasons including:
Improvements in organisations efficiency and effectiveness
Enhanced employee satisfaction
Meeting legal requirements for employers
Reduced insurance costs
Competitive advantage over rivals
Requirement within ‘invitations to tender’
Requirement within ‘supply chains’
With IMS Certification Limited, your organisation is ‘Guaranteed ‘certification within 30 days’ and benefits from a risk-free ‘No Certificate – No Fee’ promise.
Organisations successfully achieving certification against ISO Standards are entered onto the prestigious ‘International ISO Register,’ which is freely available to the public and certification bodies to search and confirm company certification registrations.
Your Next Step
If you would like to discuss your specific certification requirements further, please use the on-line Enquiry Form.
IMS Licensed Centres are run by experienced businessmen and women who have been undergone an accredited training and licensing process to deliver IMS Certification services within their local area. This enables local companies to be audited and certified locally.
You can locate your nearest IMS Centre by using the ‘Post Code’ search facility on this website.
IMS Consultants are independent business consultants who have undergone an accredited training and licensing process to provide ongoing support, consultancy and training to IMS Certification customers.
If would like to join the IMS team and offer IMS Certification services to local companies within your area either as a Licensed IMS Centre or Licensed IMS Consultant, we would like to hear from you.
Please use the on-line Enquiry Form on this website.
IMS Partners are organisations, including but not limited to those listed below, that would like to compliment the services they provide to their customers or members by partnering with IMS Certification Limited:
Trade Bodies
Professional Membership Organisations
Suppliers to Businesses
Suppliers to Consumers
Accountants
Solicitors
Business Transfer Agents
Business Advisors/Management Consultants
Business Insurance Providers/Agents
Training Organisations/Consultants
Etc.
Partner organisations also provide products and services at discounted rates to companies certified by IMS Certification.
