A construction worker, wearing a hard hat and hi-viz jacket smiles at the camera with three of her colleagues standing behind her.

You’ve just received your ISO certification – congratulations! Your achievement signifies your business’s commitment to delivering quality services, processes, and customer satisfaction. But how involved are your staff? Do they understand the importance of ISO, beyond celebrating your certification? In this article, we will look at practical ways to inspire your team and motivate them by fostering a culture of pride, engagement and continuous development.

Convey the value of ISO certification:

Educate your team members about the reasons for and benefits of obtaining an ISO certificate. Moreover, demonstrate how it aligns with your organisation’s goals and values. Bring to life its merits, such as enhanced processes, better customer satisfaction and a boost to your brand’s reputation. Also, highlight how your ISO standard(s) will go hand-in-hand with creating a better work environment while contributing towards the success of your business as a whole.

Train and involve your employees:

Invest in employee training programs related to ISO standards, which will enable everyone to understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining compliance. Encourage active participation by empowering staff to contribute to process improvement initiatives, internal audits, and ISO-related activities. Inevitably, this involvement will build a sense of ownership and collaboration, making your people feel valued and integral to the company’s ISO certification journey and overall success.

Give recognition and rewards:

Do any of your staff consistently contribute to maintaining your ISO standard(s)? If so, make sure to acknowledge individual members’ efforts. Where employees regularly suggest innovative ideas for improving processes or actively participate in audits, recognise them. Perhaps consider adding these activities as objectives within employee performance frameworks to reinforce how important they are to your business. Also, you could implement an employee recognition program, rewarding valuable contributions towards maintaining a healthy workplace and supporting regulatory compliance.

Use internal communication channels:

Nobody likes to feel in the dark. In fact, businesses with an open and transparent culture have measurably lower staff turnover. So, keep employees informed through effective internal communication channels. By providing clear updates about ongoing improvements or developments your teams will feel more invested in your success. And, importantly, by encouraging employees to ask questions, give feedback and share their experiences you can track staff engagement and sentiment, to support you in building your culture of collaboration and growth.

“Celebrating your company’s ISO certification goes well beyond simply displaying a certificate on a wall. It’s a great opportunity to generate engagement, understanding and participation from your entire team so that it becomes a cornerstone of your business’ continued success.”
Claire Howard, Director of ISO-Cert Online Ltd

Not yet ISO certified?

For more information on ISO-Cert Online’s services or to discuss your requirements please contact us on 0333 014 7720 or email info@isocertonline.net.

by admin

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Article

Driving operational excellence: how ISO standards empower SMEs

01/06/2023

Every day, small and medium size businesses (SMEs) face a range of operational challenges that can hinder growth and success. Often, the fundamental areas of concern include process efficiency, health and safety, information security, environmental responsibilities, and business continuity. So, in this blog, we’ll highlight how ISO standards can provide a solution for getting over these hurdles and enhancing your competitive edge.

ISO standards can be implemented in businesses of any size and across all industries and sectors. They have been developed to make life easier, safer and better. So how exactly can they help you?

ISO 9001: Enhancing quality management

If you’re looking to improve the quality of your products or services, ISO 9001 can help you to develop your process management. It offers guidance-based solutions. And provides insights on documented workflows, specific directions, and standardised operation procedures. Thereby leading to quality delivery while ensuring efficiency with your resources. This standard enables SMEs to identify areas for improvement and achieve consistent quality. In so doing, companies can meet customer expectations, resulting in enhanced credibility and customer loyalty.

ISO 14001: Driving environmental sustainability

Embracing environmental responsibilities is not only the right thing to do for the planet. Also, it brings many benefits to companies. As a result, environmental sustainability is an increasingly important consideration for businesses. ISO 14001 provides SMEs with guidelines for implementing effective environmental management systems. By adopting ISO 14001, SMEs can minimise their environmental impact, reduce waste generation, conserve resources, and comply with environmental regulations. So this not only demonstrates their commitment to sustainability, but also opens doors to eco-conscious customers and business opportunities.

ISO 50001: Optimising energy management

Effective energy management is crucial for SMEs seeking to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. ISO 50001 offers a systematic approach to optimising energy use. By implementing ISO 50001, SMEs can identify energy-saving opportunities. Also, it helps them to establish effective energy management systems. And it can support them in reducing their carbon footprint. Furthermore, this results in significant cost savings, enhanced environmental performance, and a competitive edge in a sustainability-focused market.

ISO 45001: Ensuring occupational health and safety

Ensuring the health and safety of employees is a top priority for SMEs. So ISO 45001 assists SMEs in establishing robust occupational health and safety management systems. By adopting ISO 45001, SMEs can identify potential hazards, mitigate risks, and create a safe working environment. Indeed, this leads to a reduction in accidents and reduced unforeseen stoppage time. Additionally, it results in improved employee morale and increased productivity, while also ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.

ISO 27001: Safeguarding information security

Information security is essential in today’s rapidly changing digital age. ISO 27001 provides a comprehensive framework for managing information security risks. By implementing ISO 27001, SMEs can identify vulnerabilities, establish information security policies and procedures, and protect sensitive data. This helps build customer trust, prevents data breaches, and ensures compliance with data protection regulations.

ISO 22301: Enabling business continuity

When it comes to continuously meeting customer expectations, the challenge of maintaining business continuity through unpredictable standalone events could be daunting. ISO 22301 provides businesses with actionable strategies to proactively establish comprehensive plans that help minimise downtime, discouraging bottom-line losses while continuity of service remains unaffected by situational disruptions. This promotes the stability of critical functions, safeguards customer relationships, and enables rapid recovery.

“Implementing ISO standards is like putting your business in a suit of armour. It shields you from risks, fortifies your processes, and defends your reputation. With any of these standards, or a selection, your business becomes a formidable force, empowered to conquer challenges and withstand competition.”
Claire Howard, Director of ISO-Cert Online Ltd

For more information on ISO-Cert Online’s services or to discuss your requirements please contact us on 0333 014 7720 or email info@isocertonline.net.

by admin

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Article

Keeping the lights on: why energy management is essential for SMEs

05/05/2023

With company insolvencies reaching a 13-year peak, in the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey, carried out in August 2022, over 20% of businesses said that their main concern was meeting energy prices. In this blog, “Keeping the lights on: why energy management is essential for SMEs”, we look at what action SMEs can take to reduce energy consumption and make energy cost savings.

SMEs and the energy crisis

There’s no getting around it – SMEs have been hit hard by the last few years. With a brutal combination of a struggling post-COVID economy, the sharp rise in the cost of materials, and labour shortages facing businesses across the UK. Add to that the unforeseen and acute energy crisis and it can feel as though the odds are stacked against small and medium sized businesses.

Of the 5.5 million small businesses in the UK, over 1 million are thought to be locked into long-term energy supply contracts, according to the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Rising company insolvencies and Government initiatives to support SMEs

Small manufacturers are understood to be some of the worst affected, due to their high energy use, which is likely to have an impact on their clients – often larger manufacturers – and UK supply chains. The ONS says there were 5,629 insolvencies in the second quarter of 2022 – the most since 2009. This was when the UK was in the midst of the global financial meltdown. And this number could rise following the end of the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme. In its place is the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme. You can check your eligibility on the gov.uk website. The scheme comes just a few months after the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign which provided similar advice for households.

Awareness of energy efficiency, both in industry and households, could certainly use a boost. The UK has pledged to reduce energy demand by 15% and reach net zero by 2050. But, with no promise of falling energy prices on the near horizon, commentators are predicting that the outlook for smaller businesses may get worse before it gets better.

Facing the challenge of energy management

Of course, the Government has a role to play in supporting businesses with the cost of electricity and gas. But beyond these subsidies and other grants which may be available, business owners can be looking inwardly. By assessing their operations, they can find practical ways to save energy-related costs and keep the wolf from the door.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change’s research suggests that the average SME could reduce energy bills by 18-25% by adopting energy efficiency practices as well as encouraging staff to be more green-minded at work. So, looking around your own business, identify the low hanging fruit in terms of energy cost-cutting. Indeed, these are most likely your heating, lighting and machinery. But where do you start?

Implementing an Energy Management System

ISO 50001 was developed to support businesses in any industry to implement an Energy Management System (EnMS), which will improve energy efficiency and generate cost savings. The framework includes:

developing a policy for more efficient use of energy;
fixing targets and objectives to meet the policy;
using data to better understand and make decisions about energy use;
measuring the results;
reviewing how well the policy works; and
continually improving energy management.

With the framework to guide you, it won’t take long to identify areas for improvement. You may worry about the investment required or payback period for replacing, upgrading or retrofitting your business operations or premises. But there is good news! Many energy efficiency improvement measures require no capital expenditure and minimal effort. For example:

Closely control heating and cooling systems so that you can prevent waste.
Keep all radiators free from obstructions so that heat circulates easily.
Encourage staff to appropriately switch off all computer equipment and production machinery, to prevent idle running.
Remember to close windows if the heating is on, to conserve heat.
Turn off lights and air conditioning in rooms when people leave, as they’re not needed.
Analyse energy consumption patterns to predict periods/areas of high or low use, to support you in choosing the right energy supplier.

Motivating staff to play their part

Key to your effort is engaging your own staff. The Energy Saving Trust has some useful resources for your employees, including posters, stickers and staff briefings to raise awareness of energy consumption and to build an energy saving culture in your workplace.

Next steps

For more information on ISO-Cert Online’s services or to discuss your requirements please contact us on 0333 014 7720 or email info@isocertonline.net.

Sources: Energy Saving Trust | The Guardian | Office for National Statistics | gov.uk

by admin

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Article

Use ISO 22301 to manage your business continuity planning

17/03/2023

Within the global economy, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role. According to the World Bank, SMEs account for roughly 90% of all businesses worldwide. And they make a substantial contribution both in terms of job creation and economic growth. However, evidence shows that SMEs can be more vulnerable to disruptions than larger organisations. For example, natural disasters, cybercrime, or a pause in production. So, we would recommend that SMEs manage your business continuity planning by having a business continuity plan (BCP) to ensure survival in the face of unexpected events.

A BCP is one proactive approach you can take to protect your business. It ensures that your business can continue to operate during and after a disruptive event. A BCP should cover all aspects of your business, including your people, processes, systems, and facilities. It should also identify your critical functions/departments and resources. That is, those which are necessary for the business to continue to operate normally and successfully.

Why is a business continuity plan important for SMEs?

There are several reasons why a BCP is critical for SMEs. Firstly, SMEs often have limited resources. So if faced with a significant unforeseen incident, they may not be as resilient as their bigger counterparts to get through the financial losses or operational interruption. Secondly, SMEs often have fewer employees. Therefore they won’t have the same level of expertise to hand, as larger organisations, to manage a crisis immediately. Finally, SMEs are often reliant on a small number of key suppliers. Consequently, a disruption to their supply chain could have a damaging impact on their business.

What is ISO certification?

ISO certification is a globally recognised standard which can support SMEs to develop and implement an effective BCP. The ISO 22301 standard provides a step-by-step approach for business continuity management (BCM) and outlines the requirements for a BCP. The standard touches on every element of BCM. Typically, this includes risk assessment, business impact analysis, strategy development, and the implementation and testing of the plan.

ISO certification can benefit your SME in several ways. For example, it provides assurance to your stakeholders, who may include your customers, suppliers, and investors, that you have implemented best practices for BCM. This can enhance your company’s reputation and help you to attract and win new business. Also, ISO certification can help you to identify and resolve performance gaps in your BCM processes. This leads to increased efficiency and cost savings. Additionally, ISO certification can help you to comply with legal and regulatory requirements related to business continuity.

“Events over the last few years have shown that unexpected events can happen quickly, with no warning, and have devastating impacts for businesses of all sizes, and particularly SMEs. We are committed to supporting you to strengthen and protect your business by achieving ISO certification with ease, in the most cost-effective and time-efficient way possible.”
Claire Howard, Director, ISO-Cert Online Limited

For more information on ISO-Cert Online’s services or to discuss your requirements please contact us on 0333 014 7720 or email info@isocertonline.net.

by admin

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Article

Why is business continuity planning important for SMEs?

17/03/2023

Many of our clients ask us “Why is business continuity planning important for SMEs?”. Chiefly, our answer is that business continuity management (BCM) is essential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Because it helps them prepare for and mitigate the impact of unexpected events that can disrupt their operations. These events could be natural disasters, cyber-attacks, pandemics, supply chain disruptions, or other unforeseen circumstances that could interrupt normal business operations.

What evidence suggests that business continuity planning is important for SMEs?

To highlight the importance of business continuity planning for SMEs, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA):

50% of SMEs fail to reopen after a major disaster such as a fire, flood or cyber-attack.
66% of SMEs don’t have a business continuity plan in place to deal with such disasters.
90% of SMEs in the UK underestimate the potential risks they face.
40% of SMEs would be forced to close within a year if they suffered a major disaster.

What does business continuity planning involve?

Business continuity planning involves first identifying potential risks. Then developing strategies to minimise their impact. And having procedures in place to ensure that critical business functions can continue even during a crisis. As a result, it can be difficult to know where to start.

What is ISO 22301?

The ISO 22301 standard provides a framework for BCM. Moreover, it sets out the requirements for a business continuity plan. Indeed, the standard comprehensively covers they key aspects of BCM. these include risk assessment, business impact analysis, strategy development, and plan implementation and testing.

“We work with SMEs across all sectors to support them with establishing and maintaining effective business continuity management. Experience shows us that by implementing a business continuity plan, based on the ISO 22301 standard, businesses can increase their resilience, continue to satisfy their customers, protect their reputation and, importantly, stay competitive.”
Claire Howard, Director, ISO-Cert Online Ltd

For more information on ISO-Cert Online’s services or to discuss your requirements please contact us on 0333 014 7720 or email info@isocertonline.net.

by admin

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Article

Reasons why your business should be ISO 27001 certified

06/03/2023

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are no exception. Often, with constrained resources and limited cybersecurity training, SMEs are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Critically, these can result in data breaches, downtime, and financial losses. So, in this article, we explore the reasons why your business should be ISO 27001 certified.

The statistics provide compelling evidence that cyber-attacks are a significant threat to SMEs. Indeed studies are conducted all the time to monitor changes to these trends.

43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses. (Source: Verizon)
66% of small business owners report that they are not concerned about cyber threats, and 59% do not have a contingency plan for responding to cyber-attacks. (Source: Nationwide)
48% of data security breaches are caused by acts of malicious intent, with the remaining 52% caused by human error or system failure. (Source: IBM)

So that’s where ISO 27001 certification comes in:

Protecting against cyber threats and data breaches

Undoubtedly, cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly popular and sophisticated. Accordingly, SMEs need to identify and address potential security risks and vulnerabilities in your information systems, networks, and applications. Here, ISO 27001 provides a framework for SMEs. Since it supports you in implementing effective security measures, it protects your business against cyber threats and data breaches.

Building trust and credibility

ISO 27001 certification demonstrates your commitment to information security best practices. As a result, it can enhance your reputation with customers, partners, and stakeholders. Primarily, it evidences clearly that you take cybersecurity seriously and are taking appropriate measures to safeguard your business and customers.

Enhancing operational efficiency

Implementing ISO 27001 can help you to streamline your information security management processes. Thus improving operational efficiency. In turn, this can reduce the risk of downtime and data loss. Ultimately resulting in cost savings, improved business performance and more engaged and empowered staff.

Complying with regulatory requirements

Many SMEs operate in sectors and industries that are subject to regulatory requirements for information security. Typically, these include such as healthcare, finance, and government. Hence ISO 27001 can help SMEs meet these requirements and avoid potential fines and legal liabilities.

Increasing business opportunities

ISO 27001 certification can give you a competitive advantage by demonstrating your commitment to information security. Naturally, this opens up new business opportunities with clients in both domestic or international markets. Companies which understand the risk of poor information security are more likely to require their suppliers to have ISO certification.

Conclusion

In summary, ISO 27001 certification is a valuable and sensible investment for all businesses. But especially for SMEs looking to protect your sensitive information, build trust with stakeholders, improve operational efficiency, comply with regulatory requirements, and increase business opportunities.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Invest in ISO 27001 certification today to defend your business against cyber threats and data breaches.

Next steps

For more information on ISO-Cert Online’s services or to discuss your requirements please contact us on 0333 014 7720 or email info@isocertonline.net.

by admin

SMEs

Celebrating your company’s ISO certification: how to inspire and motivate your team

Convey the value of ISO certification:

Train and involve your employees:

Give recognition and rewards:

Use internal communication channels:

Not yet ISO certified?

Driving operational excellence: how ISO standards empower SMEs

ISO 9001: Enhancing quality management

ISO 14001: Driving environmental sustainability

ISO 50001: Optimising energy management

ISO 45001: Ensuring occupational health and safety

ISO 27001: Safeguarding information security

ISO 22301: Enabling business continuity

Keeping the lights on: why energy management is essential for SMEs

SMEs and the energy crisis

Rising company insolvencies and Government initiatives to support SMEs

Facing the challenge of energy management

Implementing an Energy Management System

Motivating staff to play their part

Next steps

Use ISO 22301 to manage your business continuity planning

Why is a business continuity plan important for SMEs?

What is ISO certification?

Why is business continuity planning important for SMEs?

What evidence suggests that business continuity planning is important for SMEs?

What does business continuity planning involve?

What is ISO 22301?

Reasons why your business should be ISO 27001 certified

Protecting against cyber threats and data breaches

Building trust and credibility

Enhancing operational efficiency

Complying with regulatory requirements

Increasing business opportunities

Conclusion

Next steps

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