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Customers
With ISO
Foreigners are
suspicious and reluctant to buy - or get the services - from a
Philippine business
All around the world people are used to check whether a business has
an 'ISO Certificate of Conformity'; that means that they are
independently audited to ensure that their materials, products,
processes and services are fit for their purpose.
It shows credibility
if you are 'an iso certified company' in the Philippines.
What is ISO (International Organization for Standardization)?
- a non-governmental organization (NGO).
- a network of the National Standards Institutes of some 162 countries,
with a central office in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the
system and publishes the finished standards for traditional activities,
such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical engineering to
the newest information and communications technology (ICT).
What is an 'ISO standard'?
An ISO standard is a documented agreement containing technical
specifications or other precise criteria to be used consistently as
rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics to ensure that
materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.
It can be anything from a four-page document to one several hundred
pages' long. It is usually also available in electronic form. It carries
the ISO logo and the designation International Standard.
Examples of ISO standards:
- the pictorial symbol on a package marked with handling instructions
such as "This way up".
- an ISBN number (International Standard Book Number).
- the ISO standards for metric screw threads.
- a credit card; you can use it world-wide.
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In the Philippines 'ISO 9001:2008
standard' is widely used.
There are many
ISO-standards; 'ISO 9001:2008' is just one of them.
To keep customers satisfied, the organization needs to meet their
requirements.
The 'ISO 9001:2008' standard provides a tried and tested framework
for taking a systematic approach to managing the organization's
processes so that they consistently turn out product that satisfies
customers' expectations.
ISO 9001:2008 is the standard that provides a set of standardized
requirements for a quality management system.
Some of the Philippines ISO certification requirements:
- monitoring processes to ensure they are effective;
- keeping adequate records;
- checking output for defects, with appropriate and corrective
action where necessary;
- regularly reviewing individual processes and the quality system
itself for effectiveness; and
facilitating continual improvement.
To obtain an 'ISO 9001:2008 certificate of conformity' in the
Philippines, the organization may engage the services of an
independent quality system certification body. This option has
proved extremely popular in the market-place because of the
perceived credibility of an independent assessment.
A company or organization that has been independently audited and
certified to be in conformance with ISO 9001 may publicly state
that it is "ISO 9001 certified" or "ISO 9001 registered".
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What
benefits does
international standardization bring to Philippine businesses?
- It shows credibility.
- Add value to all types of business operations.
- ISO standards in general represent
a reservoir of technology.
The Philippines can benefit from this wealth of knowledge. So for them,
ISO standards are an important means both of acquiring technological
know-how that is backed by international consensus as the state of the
art, and of raising their capability to export and compete in global
markets.
- contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of
products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner.
- make trade between countries easier and fairer.
What benefits does international standardization bring to consumers?
It provides a safeguard for consumers and users of products and
services in general - as well as making their lives simpler.
What does it cost?
It takes a lot of work and the costs are 'substantial' (Php 200,000 and
up) but the advantages of being able to show your clients you are
"ISO 9001 certified" or "ISO 9001 registered" could be very rewarding
indeed.
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