What business isn’t interested in making themselves more appealing to more customers? ISO (International Organisation for Standardization) certifications are only awarded to construction businesses that meet the very highest standards in procedure and safety. Surf City Cranes in Brisbane and Gold Coast is on hand to share our unique insights and experiences, to help demystify the process of acquiring your own ISO certifications. Explore these rigorous safety standards and how your business can begin your journey to ISO certification.
What Are the ISO Standards?
ISO certifications are rigorous quality standards that set the best construction companies apart. Businesses with ISO certifications have an edge when applying for tender from large customers. In fact, it is a prerequisite to be able to apply for government contracts at all levels.
On a practical level, ISO certifications offer a range of tools and resources to lift business efficiency and performance. Certification can radically change how the business is run, across a range of topics such as project management, managing subcontractors, having pre-work checklists, and running regular safety audits. All construction businesses are eligible to apply for ISO certification, irrespective of how small they may be.
How Do You Start the ISO Process?
Choose the Certification
There are several ISO certifications, so businesses will have to choose the one that best showcases their capabilities. Once you have analysed what experience you already have and your goals for certification, you can make an informed choice as to which certification will have the most impact on your business.
Review Your Business
Once you have decided on which certification to pursue, the process from there onwards is similar across all the ISO certifications. The next step is to understand what is needed to pass the ISO certification, review what your business already has, and therefore identify the gaps your business needs to work on before it can qualify.
Prepare Documentation
Your documentation needs to cover both the standards for compliance and the steps your business will take to ensure compliance. This documentation acts as the ongoing standards to measure your business against, until it can be deemed eligible for ISO qualification.
Become Compliant
It’s much easier to say than to do! However, now that you have gathered your documentation as a guide for how your business can become compliant, the next step is to become compliant. Breaking this down step by step, your business will need to develop a system to manage the transition, from your starting point to filling in the gaps where your business isn’t meeting ISO standards.
These changes will have to be sustainable into the long term. In essence, the ISO standards become incorporated into how the business works, so that all relevant aspects of your processes are operating according to the industry best practices.
Gain ISO Accreditation
Ongoing improvements to meet compliance could include employee trainings and management review meetings. Your business should undergo ongoing audits, both internal and external, to keep measuring your business’s operations against the standards set by the ISO.
Once you are confident your business is operating at industry best practices, you can apply for and be granted ISO certification.
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