Last week International World Standard day was celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of standardization in the global economy. It’s celebrated every year on the 14th October, so what better time to discuss why ISO standards are so important in the world, especially for safety and quality.
Would you spend your money a new kitchen appliance even if it didn’t meet all the quality and safety requirements and could be at risk of being unsafe and breaking? No, we thought not and neither would we.
When we know that when products have been tried, tested and comply with requirements set by ISO standards that they should meet all expectations and not let us down! Due to this, ISO standards help consumers, businesses and the government in many ways.
ISO Standards are a key part of our society as they ensure quality and safety in both products and services in international trade.
“Trusted standards mean that industry doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, that innovations will be compatible and work with existing technology, and that products and services will be trusted too. Governments use standards as trusted solutions to complement regulation, and they give peace of mind to consumers who know they are not putting themselves or their families at risk.” Acting ISO Secretary-General Kevin McKinley
Businesses can be seen to benefit from ISO standards as they can help cut costs by improved systems and procedures put in place. In addition, environmental impacts may be reduced and they are able to access new markets and customers. For example, by implementing ISO 9001, the quality management standard, this ensures quality and safety with regards to processes and products, as a result customer satisfaction may be increased due the trust created from ISO standards. This leads on to why ISO standards are beneficial to consumers… trust. Products and services which comply with defined standards allow consumers to have confidence that they are safe and of good quality.
Finally, the government can benefit greatly from ISO standards which can be used to support public policy by getting expert opinion and also opening up world trade. Many governments implement international standards; therefore, this integration ensures clarity worldwide for trade.
If you would like more information about ISO standards and the process and the services offered by Approachable Certification, please get in contact.