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ISO Standards - Is Getting Certified Merely Joining the Bandwagon

by Ahmad Rajab
http://www.ahmadrajab.com

Is it necessary to obtain ISO standards certificates because competition has them? The business arena has long been plagued with rivalry, fierce rivalry - and this has compelled many industry players to take drastic measures as everyone struggles to get a larger slice of the pie. These days, nothing has changed. Competition remains as fierce as ever despite the newfound marketing avenues, which only make customers less loyal and more discriminating. Unless the business or its products are deeply integrated into customer buying tradition, the battle never seems to stop let alone waver.

So is it really necessary to get certified in order to outwit the competition? By hanging framed certificates from the International Organisation for Standardisation, can a business have time to relax, to be confident, and to be unworried? Sadly, the answer is a big NO. In business, there's never room for complacency, not even with an ISO 9001 or whatever certificate mounted on the wall. The market remains dynamic and changing, and more so now with all the technological advancements and innovations. ISO compliance and certification aid the attainment of success, not guarantee it.

If getting certified doesn't ensure business success, then why do thousands of businesses, corporations, and organisations strive for it? ISO compliance puts an organisation on the path towards improvement of its overall operations, and hence giving it momentum to succeed. When certain management systems are in place, the organisation starts to have a vivid view of where it wants to be and how to get there. The mere attempt of complying with ISO standards sets the organisation in motion towards having increased efficiency, productivity and profitability.

What's better is compliance not certification. Compliance propels the organisation to be better than it was before. Certification only serves as proof of what the organisation has accomplished. Continuous implementation and improvement of management systems create competitive advantages that the organisation may utilise for keeping existing customers happy and attracting new ones. Customers may like to see ISO standards certificates, but they'd be delighted to experience what those certificates ought to represent - better service and better products. When customers are served quality every time, they won't bother with certification.

Joining the bandwagon of ISO certification may in the end help businesses and organisations reap the fruits of improvements in its operations. Nevertheless, organisations must remember that "it's not the destination but the journey that matters". In other words, the process of obtaining ISO certification gives the organisation a more meaningful experience than the awarding of the certificate itself. But even with the certificate, the journey never stops. ISO standards are all about continuous improvement; there's really no end to it all.

CG Business Consulting specialise in developing and enhancing ISO Standards for our Clients. Visit us at http://www.cgbusinessconsulting.com

Article submitted Wednesday, January 04, 2012 & read 9 times.

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