Do you have favourites? I know I do. I don’t have favourite children of course. Though 😊I do have a favourite ISO Standard!
What is your Favourite ISO Standard?
My favourite ISO Standard is ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems. That's a bit nerdy, isn't it? I was wondering WHY it was my favourite Standard so I thought I’d put a bit of a list together to understand this more.
- 1. The First Standard that I worked with
That’s right – ISO 9001 was the first standard that I was introduced to. So, let’s paint a picture the first time I read through ISO 9001 was way back in the late nineties. While reading through this standard thought to myself, wow this ‘book’ is talking about all of the values that I believe in, and all of the work ethics that I'd always been working towards or within. So really it mirrored what I had already been doing – I was in heaven!
- 2. I was brought up behind the counter
I always say that I was brought up behind the counter. My parents were always business owners of service stations and general stores - all that sort of business. And my children were actually brought up behind the counter as well. So that customer focus has always been a big part of my life and my underlying values and beliefs. I think that's what shines through with ISO 9001 and why I love it so much now.
- 3. The Underpinning knowledge
I like to refer to ISO 9001 as the underpinning knowledge this standard gives to you and your business. If you have a quality system, it's easy to plug in OH&S and environment, particularly now that the structures are all the same. There are common elements across all of the ISO Standards, so the unique elements of the other Standards can just plug into Quality. ISO 9001 is a great starting point for a system.
- 4. I’m a fussy customer
I'm a fussy customer myself – just ask my children! This might be because of my background, as well as my values and beliefs in growing up “behind the counter”. I enjoy exceptional customer service and I like giving feedback. It's not just constructive feedback, it’s positive feedback as well.
Note – this is an excerpt from the Auditor Training Online Facebook Live, view the video here.
