I.S.O( International Standard

Organization)

HistoryISO originated from the union of two

organizations – the ISO (International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations) and the UNSCC (United Nations Standard Coordinating Committee). The word ISO is derived from the Greek ISOS meaning ‘equal’. As the International Organization for Standardization would translate differently across different languages it was decided that the short form name for the organization would be ISO.

In 1946 over 25 countries met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London to create a new international organization, where the objective was to ‘facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards’ From this the new organization ISO began operations in February 1947, and since then have published more than 19 500 International Standards covering almost all aspects of technology and business. From food safety to computers, and agriculture to healthcare, ISO International Standards impact all our lives.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state of the art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade.

Today ISO have members from 162 countries and 3 368 technical bodies to take care of standard development. More than 150 people work full time for ISO’s Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.

STANDARDS

A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.

Popular standards

ISO 9000 - Quality managementMake sure your products and

services meet customers' needs with this family of standards.

ISO 22000 - Food safety management

Inspire confidence in your food products with this family of standards.

ISO 31000 - Risk managementManage risks that could be

negative for your company’s performance with this standard.

ISO 26000 - Social responsibilityHelp your organization to

operate in a socially responsible way with this standard.

ISO 639 - Language codesDescribe languages in an

internationally accepted way with this standard.

Benefits of International Standards

International Standards bring technological, economic and societal benefits. They help to harmonize technical specifications of products and services making industry more efficient and breaking down barriers to international trade. Conformity to International Standards helps reassure consumers that products are safe, efficient and good for the environment.

Facts and figures about the benefits of standards

The repository of studies on economic and social benefits of standards provides an insight of the approaches and results of the studies undertaken by different authors, such as national and international standards bodies, research institutes, universities and other international agencies.

HOW ARE ISO STANDARDS DEVELOPED?

An ISO standard is developed by a panel of experts, within a technical committee. Once the need for a standard has been established, these experts meet to discuss and negotiate a draft standard. As soon as a draft has been developed it is shared with ISO’s members who are asked to comment and vote on it. If a consensus is reached the draft becomes an ISO standard, if not it goes back to the technical committee for further edits. 

Key principles in standard development1. ISO standards respond to a need in the market

ISO does not decide when to develop a new standard. Instead, ISO responds to a request from industry or other stakeholders such as consumer groups. Typically, an industry sector or group communicates the need for a standard to its national member who then contacts ISO.

2. ISO standards are based on global expert opinion

ISO standards are developed by groups of experts from all over the world, that are part of larger groups called technical committees. These experts negotiate all aspects of the standard, including its scope, key definitions and content.3. ISO standards are developed through a multi-stakeholder process

The technical committees are made up of experts from the relevant industry, but also from consumer associations, academia, NGOs and government.4. ISO standards are based on a consensus

Developing ISO standards is a consensus-based approach and comments from stakeholders are taken into account.

DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STANDARDS

A management system describes the set of procedures an organization needs to follow in order to meet its objectives.

In a small organization there may not be an official system, just ‘our way of doing things’. Often ‘our way of doing things’ is not written down, instead it is in the head of the staff. However, the larger the organization the more likely it is that there are written instructions about how things are done. This makes sure that nothing is left out and that everyone is clear about who needs to do what, when and how. When an organization systemizes how it does things, this is known as a management system.

ISO 50001:2011 – Energy Management System

ISO 50001 is based on the management system model of continual improvement also used for other well-known standards such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001. This makes it easier for organizations to integrate energy management into their overall efforts to improve quality and environmental management.

ISO 50001:2011 provides a framework of requirements for organizations to:

Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy

Fix targets and objectives to meet the policy

Use data to better understand and make decisions about energy use

Measure the results Review how well the policy works,

and Continually improve energy

management.

ISO 14000 - Environmental management

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental management. It provides practical tools for companies and organizations looking to identify and control their environmental impact and constantly improve their environmental performance. ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 focus on environmental management systems. The other standards in the family focus on specific environmental aspects such as life cycle analysis, communication and auditing.

ISO 9000 - Quality management

The ISO 9000 family addresses various aspects of quality management and contains some of ISO’s best known standards. The standards provide guidance and tools for companies and organizations who want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet customer’s requirements, and that quality is consistently improved.

There are many standards in the ISO 9000 family, including:

ISO 9001:2008 - sets out the requirements of a quality management system

ISO 9000:2005 - 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 22000 - Food safety management

The ISO 22000 family of International Standards addresses food safety management. The consequences of unsafe food can be serious and ISO’s food safety management standards help organizations identify and control food safety hazards. As many of today's food products repeatedly cross national boundaries, International Standards are needed to ensure the safety of the global food supply chain.

ISO/IEC 27001 - Information security management

The ISO 27000 family of standards helps organizations keep information assets secure.

ISO/IEC 27001 is the best-known standard in the family providing requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). Using this family of standards will help your organization manage the security of assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee details or information entrusted to you by third parties.

ISO 20121 - Sustainable eventsEvents take a heavy toll on our

resources, society and the environment. They can generate significant waste, put a strain on local resources like water or energy, or even ignite tensions in local communities. With ISO 20121 you can make your event sustainable, no matter its type or size. ISO 20121 offers guidance and best practice to help you manage your event and control its social, economic and environmental. The standard has been developed with input from many different stakeholders, including representatives from the event industry, to make it practical and useful. It addresses all stages of an events’ supply chain, and includes monitoring and measuring guidelines.

TWO ISO CERTIFIED COMPANIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

1.San Miguel Foods2.Dole