Iso 9001 is designed and intended to apply to virtually any product or service, made by any process anywhere in the world.
iso 9001 is part of the iso 9000 series
iso 9001 is the auditable standard in the iso 9000 family.

why seek iso 9001 certification?
iso 9001 certification by an accredited certification body shows commitment to quality, customers, and a willingness to work towards improving efficiency.
it demonstrates the existence of an effective quality management system that satisfies the rigours of an independent, external audit.
iso 9001 certification enhances company image in the eyes of customers, employees and shareholders alike.
it also gives a competitive edge to an organisations marketing.

benefits of iso 9001 certification
1. Enhanced image of organization
2. Benifits in tenders
3. Customer satisfaction.
4. Reduction in customer complaints.
5. Reduction in wastage/reworking.
6. Improvement in productivity (less re-working).
7. Better work management due to systems approach.
8. Enhanced employee awareness & improvement in morals.

These include the use of natural resources, handling and treatment of waste, and energy consumption.

how do you start to implement iso 14001?

firstly, you need to evaluate the effect your organisation has on the environment. You then need to prioritise ways in which you might gain iso 14001 certification. Next, identify the boundaries of your management system and document your procedures for implementing the requirements of iso 14001. You will need to ensure these procedures are implemented and then audited. If you have iso 9000 systems in place, many of the requirements of iso 14001 will already be covered, or can be easily incorporated into them.
Once developed, internal audits are needed to ensure the system carries on working. The setting of targets for the environmental policy and continual measuring against it ensures the system is maintained.

why seek iso 14001 certification?

once you have an environmental management system in place, you may choose to have it externally audited. Following a successful audit by an accredited certification body, such as isoqar, you will be issued with a certificate of registration to iso 14001. This demonstrates that your organisation is committed to environmental issues and is prepared to work towards improving the environment. It also gives a competitive edge to the companys marketing and enhances its image in the eyes of customers, employees and shareholders.

the benefits of implementing iso 14001

implementing an environmental management system is a systematic way to discover and control the effects your company has on the environment. Cost savings can be made through improved efficiency and productivity. These are achieved by detecting ways to minimise waste and dispose of it more effectively and by learning how to use energy more efficiently. It verifies compliance with current legislation and makes insurance cover more accessible.

Information is now globally accepted as being a vital asset for most organisations and businesses. As such, the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of vital corporate and customer information may be essential to maintain competitive edge, cash-flow, profitability, legal compliance and commercial image. Iso 27001 is intended to assist with this task. It is easy to imagine the consequences for an organisation if its information was lost, destroyed, corrupted, burnt, flooded, sabotaged or misused. In many cases it can (and has) led to the collapse of companies.
Iso 27001 is part of the iso 27000 series, the generic name given to a family of international standards developed to provide a framework around which an information security management system can effectively be implemented

iso 27000 is maintained by the international organisation for standardisation (iso) and is administered by accreditation and certification bodies. The standards are revised every few years to keep them up-to-date
benefits of iso 27001 certification

gaining certification from a ukas accredited certification body (such as isoqar) demonstrates that the security of your information has been addressed, implemented and properly controlled. But the benefits dont stop there:
customers, employees, trading partners and stakeholders are comforted in the knowledge that your management information and systems are secure.
demonstrates credibility and trust.

Ohsas 18001 is part of ohsas 18000, the generic name given to a family of international standards developed to provide a framework around which an occupational health and safety management system can effectively be implemented. It comprises two parts:
ohsas 18001 occupational health and safety management systems specification
ohsas 18002 guidelines for the implementation of ohsas 18001
ohsas 18001 is the auditable standard in the ohsas 18000 family. Isoqar audit to ohsas 18001 and are accredited by ukas.
Why seek certification to ohsas 18001?
registration to ohsas 18001 by an independent, third party, certification body demonstrates a commitment to implement, maintain and improve the way in which you manage your health and safety system.
Organisations registered to ohsas 18001 can be more confident about meeting the requirements of health and safety legislation. The setting of targets through the health and safety policy, together with the ongoing measurement against it ensures a process of continual improvement.

ohsas 18001 will also bring your business other benefits:
acquiring this leading international standard will broaden your business opportunities
demonstrate due diligence, good governance, low risk and a competent management that is committed to health and safety in the workplace
oshas 18001 will raise both the performance and morale of your employees
look after your most valuable asset your employees
gives potential clients assurance of your effective risk management procedures and full regulatory compliance
promote safer working environments by heightening adherence to your health and safety policy and procedure
improve efficiencies in health and safety budgeting for costs such as training, ensuring that money is well spent and related to real needs of the organisation
provide reassurance to stakeholders that you are taking all reasonable steps to protect the business against damage to your reputation and breach of legislation

Iso 22000, food safety management systems - requirements for any organization in the food chain is an international standard that specifies the requirements for a food-safety management system and combines the following generally recognized key elements to ensure food safety along the food chain to the point of final consumption: interactive communication, system management, prerequisite programs, and haccp principles.
The iso 22000 standard delivers a common global framework of safety requirements for all organizations in the food supply chain, including crop production, processing, distribution, and related operations. It is an international standard that harmonizes various existing national and industry certification schemes.
Iso 22000 incorporates all seven of the contemporary haccp principles and implementation plans. Overall, iso 22000 creates an effective framework for food safety management, communication along the food supply chain, and control of food safety hazards.
Iso 22000 is recognized by more than 157 stakeholder countries around the world. Accredited audits are carried out by certification bodies in accordance to iso 22003, -food safety management systems--requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management systems. Auditors must inspect as many product lines in the manufacturing facility as possible, and prerequisites must be audited at every site inspection. As with other iso standards, the auditing cycle takes three years - including a longer initial inspection the first year and shorter surveillance audits in the next two years.
Iso 22000, along with pas 220, form fssc 2200, which has recently become recognized by the global food safety initiative (gfsi) as only the sixth standard to receive such recognition.

The european medical device quality system standard as of this writing is en iso 13485:2003. Iso 13485:2003 will replace current harmonized standards en iso 13485:2000 and en iso 13488:2000 after a three year transition ending in july 2006.
Purpose of iso 13485:2003
a successful implementation will demonstrate a company's ability to supply medical devices and related services to customers that comply with regulatory requirements. Iso 13485 is not just product focused, but it focuses instead on the processes used to develop medical devices. Keep in mind that you also need to comply with all relevant product and service oriented technical standards and regulations in this area of expertise.
Although iso 13485:2003 is based on iso 9001:2008 quality management standard and uses the same numbering system, iso 13485 doesn't include the iso 9001 requirements related to continual improvement and customer satisfaction. Iso 13485 also focuses more on how procedures regulate and control activity and process performance.
Highlights of iso 13485:2003
the standard highlights the following important factors in the processes surrounding medical device manufacture:
fda or other regulatory approval
cleanliness/sterility in the production area
labeling
traceability of non-conforming product
adequate testing of these important and sometimes life-saving devices.

Many european directives stipulate that a ce mark has to be applied to the products in question. A ce mark on a product serves as a declaration to the authorities that the product
complies with all valid european regulations and
has undergone the specified conformity-assessment procedures.
Who is responsible for attaching the ce mark to the product?
the most important point is that the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the product complies with the european regulations and for attaching the ce mark to the product, irrespective of whether said manufacturer is based in or outside the european community. The manufacturer can appoint an authorised representative domiciled within the european community to perform these duties on the manufacturer's behalf.
The ce mark should not be confused with marks such as the gs mark or the dguv test mark. Only in special cases has a product bearing the ce mark been tested by an independent testing and certification body - this is not indicated by the ce mark. In the case of the gs and dguv test marks, the production process is also inspected.

The guiding principle of gmp is that quality is built into a product, and not just tested into a finished product. Therefore, the assurance is that the product not only meets the final specifications, but that it has been made by the same procedures under the same conditions each and every time it is made. There are many ways this is controlled - controlling the quality of the facility and its systems, controlling the quality of the starting materials, controlling the quality of production at all stages, controlling the quality of the testing of the product, controlling the identity of materials by adequate labeling and segregation, controlling the quality of materials and product by adequate storage, etc. All of these controls must follow prescribed, formal, approved procedures, written as protocols, sops, or master formulae, describing all the tasks carried out in an entire manufacturing and control process.

gmp covers all aspects of the manufacturing process including :
defined manufacturing process
validated critical manufacturing steps
suitable premises, storage, transport, qualified and trained production and quality control personnel
adequate laboratory facilities
approved written procedures and instructions
records to show all steps of defined procedures have been taken
full traceability of a product through batch records and distribution records
systems for recall and investigation of complaints

The hebrew meaning of the word "kosher" is fit or proper". It refers to foodstuffs that meet the dietary requirements of jewish law. these laws determine which foods are acceptable and help guide contemporary kosher policies. The test which determines whether a food is kosher or non-kosher depends on three variables: the source of the ingredients, the status of the production equipment and the process of production. Kosher certification, which is the guarantee that the food meets kosher requirements, revolves around these three criteria.
the kosher standards are often more thorough than contemporary federal regulations, adding to the value of kosher certified companies. Market studies repeatedly indicate that the average consumer will express a distinct preference for kosher certified products. Furthermore, being kosher certified reflects on the company's commitment to high-grade production and company transparency. it is for these reasons that the average consumer regards the kosher symbol as a sign of superior quality.

Haccp can be considered a management system that addresses food safety through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards right from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. It's designed to be used in all segments of the food industry, and all the safety systems based on haccp principles have been successfully applied. Globally, food industries, as well as government agencies have accepted the seven principles of haccp, which are:

analyze hazards
determine the critical control points (ccps)
establish preventive measures with critical limits for each control point
establish procedures to monitor the critical control points
establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met
establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly establish effective record keeping to document the haccp system
advantages
haccp offers a number of advantages
focuses on identifying and preventing hazards from contaminating food
enhanced assurance of food safety
better management of resources
timely response to problems
is based on sound science
permits more efficient and effective government oversight
helps food companies compete more effectively in the world market
reduces barriers to international trade