Steph Churchman, Author at Blackmores

Quality and environmental management are top priorities for many organisations, backed up by the increasing number of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates being issued every year.

Aside from being a popular requirement on tenders, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 provide a robust framework for businesses to ensure they follow Best Practice, enhance their businesses performance and put measures in place to reduce their environmental impact. We often see these two Standards being implemented in tandem, as is the case with todays’ guest, Asynt.

Asynt is a global provider of world leading technologies and services for scientific research, developed by chemists for chemists, their laboratory equipment responds to the real demands of industry and academia across the globe.

Today we welcome Siobhan Ellwood, Sales Support at Asynt, as she explains their journey towards ISO 9001 Implementation, and how they embedded ISO 14001 along the way using our online learning platform – the isologyhub.

You’ll learn

Who are Asynt?
How did Siobhan get involved with ISO Standards?
What was Asynt’s main driver for obtaining ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?
What did Asynt learn while implementing ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?
Siobhan’s experience using the isologyhub to implement ISO 14001

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:55] An Introduction to Asynt – A global provider of world leading technologies and services for scientific research. Based just outside of Ely in Cambridgeshire, they just celebrated 20 years in business!

[02:10] Siobhan’s role and how she got involved with ISO Standards: Siobhan is the Sales Support Manager for Asynt, she assist with raising quotations, managing sales orders and providing support for the warehouse.

In January 2023, 3 members of the Asynt Team were tasked with researching and obtaining ISO 9001, with a view to adopt ISO 14001 later on. Siobhan had experience working with Quality Standards thanks to her previous work in aviation and automotive companies, and had even previously implemented the Standard. Naturally, she was a perfect fit to head the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 project at Asynt.

[05:40] What did Siobhan enjoy most about Implementing ISO Standards? Initially, realising that she had a lot more knowledge about ISO than she gave herself credit for. Also, making use of the 5 Why’s to identify where something has gone wrong, implement a solution and preventing it from recurring.

[06:40] What were the main drivers behind Implementing ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?: For ISO 9001 – Top Management saw the need to have proper procedures in place, to ensure that everything was written down and could be communicated and conducted by other staff if needed. Ultimately, they wanted a cohesive system where everything, included roles and responsibilities, were documented and managed.

For ISO 14001 – Customers often ask for ISO 9001, but ISO 14001 was also starting to pop up in conversation more. Top Management at Asynt wanted to get ahead of the curve and make the move towards becoming more environmentally friendly. It was also seen as a stepping stone towards being in a position to calculate their Carbon Footprint and make further improvements.

[09:50] The ISO 14001 Coaching Programme – Asynt were one of the first companies to go through our ISO Coaching Programme, hosted via the isologyhub. This programme combined the DIY digital platform with group coaching sessions, allowing all participants to work collaboratively towards creating their own Environmental Management System.

[10:20] Siobhan’s experience with the ISO 14001 Coaching Programme: Overall Siobhan had a very positive experience in the coaching programme, a few highlights include:

Sharing ideas: Other participants come from a wide range of industries, and each brought their own unique ideas to the table, encouraging others to look at things from many different points of view.

Support: If another participant is struggling with something, there is a group of people to support and provide possible solutions. Siobhan gave an example of where she provided an Excel guide to another member who was looking for a solution.

Resources: Siobhan had previous experience with implementing ISO Standards, so she was aware of what type of documentation was required. She found the resources on the hub useful to refer to outside of coaching sessions, to enhance Asynt’s own ISO Standard Implementation.

[12:20] What was the biggest Gap identified during Asynt’s Gap Analysis? Mostly it was the lack of documentation, which required a lot of work to get everything written down in cohesive processes and procedures.

For ISO 14001, Asynt are fortunate enough to own the buildings that they operate in. So, gathering the initial information required where potential energy and environmental improvements could be made was fairly easy.

[15:00] What differences did Asynt see after addressing the identified gaps? For ISO 14001 – Some elements were already in place (recycling waste ect), but weren’t being monitored in any meaningful way. Now Siobhan has got processes in place to ensure the recycling is being separated correctly and weighed so they can properly gauge their impact.

For ISO 9001 – It was the introduction of the 5 Why’s, which Asynt have used to great effect to identify problems and implement solutions. An example of this can be found in their warehouse, lanes and shelves weren’t labelled, causing confusion. It was a quick fix that could have been implemented years ago, but the 5 Why’s forced a much needed change.

[18:00] What did Siobhan learn from the experience of Implementing ISO 9001 and ISO 14001? Integrating a Management System can save on a lot of paperwork! Initially the plan was to have just an ISO 9001 System, with ISO 14001 implemented at a later date. Going through the process of Implementing them as the same time highlighted how much easier it would be to combine them, thanks in part to how many elements overlap between the two.

It also makes the system a lot easier to interact with, having everything in one place rather than spread between two separate systems means staff don’t have to waste time digging for policies and Procedures.

[20:00] Certification plans: Asynt are well on their way towards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification with their Stage 1 in October and Stage 2 in November 2023. With just under 2 months before the Stage 1, Siobhan plans to continue working through some opportunities for Improvement, raised by Blackmores in some recent Internal Audits.

[21:41] Siobhan’s top tip: Trust in the process and make sure that you have the right person in your business to lead the ISO project.

Also being open to change, being honest with yourself about where the gaps are and trying to get those closed but also manage expectations within the business.

[23:50] Siobhan’s book recommendation: Salt path by Raynor Winn.

[26:05] Siobhan’s favorite quote: “Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information, but unlearning old limits” – Alan Cohen

If you’d like to learn more about Asynt check out their website!

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The UK events industry accounts for 35% of the UK visitor economy and is estimated to be worth £42 billion, yet it is still incredibly wasteful, with 68% of waste going directly to landfill.

Haymarket Media Group is a global media data and information company, who offer a wide range of digital print, tech and live event services. Haymarket UK had been certified to ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management) for a few years prior to 2019, covering most aspects of their business from a sustainability point of view.

However, their live events still had many sustainability opportunities that were not being taken into consideration by their existing certifications. So, in early 2022 they embarked on their journey to gain ISO 20121 (Sustainable Event Management) certification.

Today, Gary Charlton and Natalie Harris from Haymarket join Mel to discuss exactly why they added ISO 20121 to their portfolio, the challenges faced with Implementing the Standard, and the benefits gained from certification.

You’ll learn

Who are Haymarket?
What is ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management?
Why did Haymarket choose to Implement ISO 20121?
What challenges did they face?
What are the benefits of ISO 20121?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:50] An Introduction to Haymarket Media Group – A global media data and information company, with offices in the UK, US, Germany, India and Asia. They produce live events (including award ceremonies, conferences and exhibitions), digital print, education data and tech services.

[02:25] Gary Charlton is the Head of Procurement for the UK – Part of his role includes supporting the Haymarket approach towards sustainability, to ensure their products and services are as environmentally and socially sustainable as possible.

[02:45] Natalie Harris is the Procurement Executive at Haymarket – A lot of her role revolves around live events in addition to purchasing our products and services. Additionally, she advises the wider team on buying legally, sustainably and ethically. Both Natalie and Gary form a team, and were the main driving force behind the creation of their Sustainable Event Management System.

[03:40] What is ISO 20121?: ISO 20121 was launched for, and named after, the 2012 Olympics, making it the worlds first sustainable Olympics! The Standard provides a framework for managing events sustainably, that includes having the policies, procedures, registers and records to demonstrate that the events are being run in a sustainable manner. Being certified indicates that a company is not just paying lip service to sustainability, it’s actually practicing what they preach. If you’d like to learn more about ISO 20121, go back and listen to episode 38.

[05:30] What was the main driver behind Haymarket achieving ISO 20121?: Haymarket first contacted Blackmores about assisting with ISO 20121 Implementation in 2019. At the time, they were already certified to ISO 14001 and ISO 50001, so they understood the benefits that came with ISO certifications – including the framework to start making better decisions and accurately measure what you’re doing.

Their head of facilities had started the process of evaluating other areas they could improve with ISO Standards, particularly around sustainability. Live events are a large service offering for Haymarket, which has a significant environmental footprint, so a case was put forward for the benefits if reducing that impact with the help of ISO 20121. The team running their live events were very positive about the potential benefits presented, and the go ahead was given.

[07:20] Sustainability is central to how Haymarket wants to operate – Implementing ISO 20121 would ensure that there was more standardisation across their processes. This would introduce some uniformity that could apply to all types of events, which was very important to the Live event lead – Donna Murphy.

Natalie was in the right place at the right time, already in the position of working in collaboration with Haymarket’s Live events team on sustainable procurement, ensuring that due diligence was followed with suppliers and their accreditations. So, it was a no-brainer getting her on board with the ISO 20121 project!

[09:30] How long did it take to implement ISO 20121?: Haymarket engaged in Blackmores services in February 2022 and were accredited by July 2023. In total, it took 18 months for the planning, creation and development ahead of the assessment.

They ensured the system was refined to ensure it worked efficiently, encouraging continual improvement and a harmonious approach for the whole business.

[11:15] Above and beyond: Haymarket received a lot of praise from their Assessor – highlighting their thoroughness, including the involvement of top management and many others within the organisation in the creation of the Management System. Also for ensuring that the system would be applicable for the 4 main types of events that Haymarket runs.

[12:00] ISO 20121 requires an audit to be conducted during a live event – So Haymarket had a lot to consider when selecting the event to be audited.

[13:30] Haymarket’s key insights on Implementing ISO 20121: #1: The Gap Analysis was an integral part of the process – by highlighting the gaps you can clearly see where improvements can be made. While they may have been a bit crestfallen and daunted by the gaps presented, they came out if knowing they already had around 27% of a Sustainable Event Management system already in place – partly due to their existing certifications.

This soon bumped up to 59% at the half-way checkpoint! This assured them that ISO 20121 was within reach, and simply required at bit of time and effort to achieve.

#2 Having leadership involvement and backing – They were quick to involve their live event lead, Donna Murphy, in key decision making and with the roll-out of the Management System. She was instrumental in ensuring the Standard was in place and being followed.

[18:45] What were some of the gap identified and how did Haymarket bridge them? Required documentation – Many ISO standards have required documentation. A lot of times companies do have a lot of it place, but it’s simply just not formalised. Natalie highlights that this was the case with a Risk Register. It’s not a universal company need to have, but as part of the Procurement Team it’s simply a part of who they are and what they do.

For live events, they need to do the appropriate health and safety checks, but it wasn’t formalised in any way. Thankfully their facilities and environment specialist, who assisted with the existing ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications, was on hand to help with the creation of risk procedures based on procedures from the existing Management System.

With this collaborative approach, using elements from the exiting Management System, they created 31 brand new documents consisting of Procedures, Registers, Log and Records that are continuously used, monitored and updated.

This new documentation, while a lot of work to create, ultimately helps Haymarket track, measure and set parameter’s for continuous Improvement. It ensured they have a really visual system, with a clear view of what needs to be done to run sustainable events.

[23:00] What difference has Implementing ISO 20121 made?: There was a big amount of short-time work for a long term gain. It’s not simply a stack of useless documents sitting in a corner, it’s a living, breathing system that is injected into the business.

The Management system is of benefit to everyone, including those new to Haymarket’s team as it provides a structured and standardised approach to sustainable event delivery. It’s provided knowledge and helped to develop new skills that will stick with all those that interact with the Management system, whether they stay with Haymarket or move elsewhere.

Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring they are doing the right thing for the planet. By creating more sustainable events, they are reducing their impact as a whole.

[26:00] What is the main achievement from being certified to ISO 20121?: Morale and confidence that they can say they really do practice what they preach. They could hold a mirror up and say, right, we’ve created this system and we’re confident in it – with internal audits conducted by third-parities to confirm they’re on the right track with their intended goals.

Certification is not the end goal. You have annual Surveillance Audits to check-in, so the system must be a long-term feature in your business, and it must drive continual improvement.

[27:50] What top tip would Gary and Natalie give for ISO 20121 Implementation? Gary: Make sure you’re resolute in your reasoning for Implementing the standard and the implications of doing so. Also, enlist the help of someone with Implementation experience!

Natalie: Don’t underestimate the amount of work required. Select someone in-house to manage the project and when / if you can, use external resources such as a consultant to assist. They can also provide unbias, reflective feedback to ensure you’re on the right track.

[30:10] What’s a favorite quote? “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” – Robert Swan

If you’d like to learn more about Haymarket check out their website!

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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Energy Management can be a tricky topic to approach depending on your industry. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered to ensure that you are accurately monitoring and measuring your energy consumption.

Thankfully ISO 50001, the Standard for Energy Management, does provide a lot of useful guidance to help you get started. As a reminder, ISO 50001 can help your business to continually improve its energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system (EMS) based on the requirements of ISO 50001 will ultimately help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy.

However, even with the guidance, we often see a few common mistakes companies make while managing their EMS. Today Darren Morrow, Senior Isologist here at Blackmores, joins us to share his top 5 mistakes to avoid while managing an EMS.

You’ll learn

What is ISO 50001?
5 mistakes to avoid while managing an Energy Management System
How can you avoid these mistakes?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] What is ISO 50001? ISO 50001 is all about continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. By Implementing an energy management system, you will be able to fully understand and monitor and measure your use of energy. Like most other ISO’s, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001, and It’s also based on the Annex SL format. So, it shares some similarities with Standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. If you’ve got ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there!

[01:14] We have a more detailed walkthrough of ISO 50001 Implementation available in our steps to success podcast series, which are episodes: 84, 85 and 88

[02:00] Mistake 1 – Lack of commitment from top management: This can be one of the biggest issues and can cause the most damage in relation to any management system.

A lack of support from top management often leads to:-

A loss of motivation for improvement
A lack of financial support and resources – The EMS should be considered in budgets so you can account for any additional maintenance that needs to be done to ensure equipment is running optimally, or possibly investing in newer technology that is designed to be more efficient.
Lack of alignment of the EMS and organisational goals and objectives – Everyone in the business should be aware of the organisation’s goals, if energy management is included as part of those goals, then they are more likely to be fulfilled.

Having a commitment from top management ensures that EMS is part of the business and not just a bolt on.

[03:25] Mistake 2 – Built by one person or department: If one person is deemed ultimately responsible, even if supported by top management, overall commitment throughout the business can be difficult, sometimes with comments such as ‘that’s Bob’s job’.

With one person or department, there can be the lack of authority to make decisions, and inevitably they can become siloed from the rest of the business – not hearing about improvement opportunities, not being involved in internal projects, etc.

Ensure that, even in a smaller businesses where one person may form the ‘Energy Team’, that everyone is able to contribute.

[04:20] Mistake 3 – Rushed Implementation of the Energy Management System: This can lead to confusion as to who is responsible and what responsibilities are shared. It can also lead to failures to record opportunities for improvement, or for monitoring and managing any deviations in energy consumption that may occur and require investigation.

There is also the risk of a lack of awareness amongst staff if you’ve not taken the time to communicate roles and responsibilities in relation to the EMS.

[05:30] Mistake 4 – Manual controls that can be overridden by staff: A lot of what you monitor and measure may be automated, but there will always be elements where there is a potential for human error. So ideally, where possible during energy reviews or audits, consider those elements that humans have direct impact for the control and influence of energy.

Typical examples include:

Heating and cooling – Problems and excessive energy use can be caused through individuals changing temperatures resulting in equipment working harder and on many occasions working against each other.
Lighting – Many companies now have sensor controlled lighting, this ensures lights are only switched on when required. Manual lighting controls typically have resulted in lights being switched on and left on in rooms that are not occupied, example being meeting rooms.

[06:50] Mistake 5 – Data collection and monitoring: Data collection is crucial in supporting decision making and also to be able to demonstrate improvement. Common pitfalls in this category include:

Lack of attention to monitoring and measurement results / trends – there is a likelihood that data will not be collected properly, recorded incorrectly, resulting in data that is only used to populate a spreadsheet or software based database, and does not provide any valuable information.

Results may not be analyzed at appropriate times to identify any trends or issues / deviations that may arise, potentially leading to inefficiencies in equipment operations, and ultimately increased costs

Poor data collection and record keeping and general housekeeping – Data if not collected periodically, covering determined periods, will result in being unable to compare consumption on a like-for-like basis. This means you will only be recording usage, with significantly reduced means to identify opportunities for improvement and / or causes for deviations.

Relying on energy bills (estimated and not reading meters) – This should be a last resort for data collection. This will not provide accurate information to base decisions on, inevitably bills will show an estimated consumption and cost, followed by a ‘reading’ sometime during the year, resulting in an amendment or adjustment being made – primarily cost.

This has a significant impact the data collected, along with any possibility of accurately identifying improvements and / or deviations that could impact the business

[09:40] We’re offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on isologyhub memberships until the 31^st October 2023! Contact us to book a demo.

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There are a lot of tedious tasks that we put off or would rather just not do! Often, these types of tasks don’t take too long, but can cause delays if not completed. If you find yourself battling with this, it may be time to ask:

Where could you save 10 minutes a day?

That’s the exact question Lorna Leonard, Managing Director of Leonard Business Services, asked her team at the start of 2023. Focusing on tasks that were being put off for various reasons, Lorna found a potential time saving of 54 hours a month!

Today Lorna joins us to share her story of how saving just 10 minutes a day can potentially lead to 8 days’ worth of time saved, in addition to the pitfalls and solutions she found along the way.

You’ll learn

Who are Leonard Business Services
Why did the 10 minute initiative start?
The power of saving 10 minutes a day
What challenges did they face?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:25] An Introduction to Lorna Leonard and Leonard Business Services – a virtual finance department who are certified to ISO 9001. Lorna also joined us on a previous episode, Chaos to Calm, to talk about their experience working during the COVID pandemic.

[03:25] The challenge: Lorna started off with only 1 other member of staff, over the years they’ve grown to 7, with an increasing number of associates. With the organisation growing, Lorna was unable to be as hands on as she was before, so some things started to slip through the cracks. She wanted to ensure that was nipped in the bud early on.

The nature of her business needs very specific qualities in individuals, ones that are hard to come by. So, she was seeking to save as much wasted time with her current team as possible.

[04:50] Nothing is ever down to human error, it always comes down to a process – Some words of wisdom from Rachel Churchman, a Blackmores Managing Consultant who works with Lorna with on-going support. Processes change, they need regular review and updates to ensure they work well for you. Lorna found that a number of their processes created bubbles of inefficiency, which resulted in various 10-15 minute tasks that others found frustrating to complete.

[05:50] Saving 10 minutes a day: As a result of the process review, Lorna decided to focus on just saving 10 minutes a day – taking baby steps to tackle a bigger problem. She asked all of her staff to think of any tasks they found frustrating, and added them to a log. She kept that log going until May, to capture a snapshot of the issues before tackling them. This is just so she could measure the results more accurately later on.

[08:15] What tasks did Lorna’s staff highlight as frustrating?: A lot of problems were a result of software systems not talking to each other, meaning a lot of basic merging / collating of data had to be done manually between 2 systems.

[09:25] How they calculated the potential time-savings: Using the log, they estimated the time taken for each task, including consideration for which other members of staff may be affected by the same issues. At the end of the May, they found that there was a potential time-saving of 54 hours, which amounts to a full 8 days of work!

[11:25] Taking principles of ISO 9001 to heart: Lorna has truly embraced one of the key elements of ISO 9001 – addressing non-conformities through looking at your risks and weaknesses. By taking a step back and shining a spotlight on the negative, you can work towards making a positive change, and continually improving your way of working.

[13:30] How did Lorna’s team feel about the iniative: At the start, it was like pulling teeth. Many felt as if the wasted time was a reflection on their performance rather than a failure of processes and systems which weren’t working as efficiently as they could. Once improvements were starting to be implemented, the team could see just how valuable this exercise was. Lorna even received kudos (through an internal perk system) from the Team!

[16:45] A part of the exercise involved accepting some things that you can’t change.

[17:00] The tip of the iceberg: One issue can lead down a deeper path. For example, Lorna found that their expenses app wasn’t integrating with their accounting app – resulting in a manual exchange of data. By talking to app support, they were able to find a solution. 2 weeks later Lorna found that, that solution resulted in fixing a problem elsewhere that she wasn’t even aware of!

[18:30] For the things that can’t be changed, there is always a possibility to look at more long-term solutions that may require a roadmap to get to. The key takeaway is that you’re making worthwhile improvements, no matter how quickly or long they may take to achieve.

[19:30] Other types of solutions found: Most of the solutions came down to outsourcing. For example, Lorna is not a software expert, so resolving the software system issues would have taken a long time. Luckily, she found an associate in Michigan who specialised in API development, who could create ways to make the systems talk to each other using Zapier. It wasn’t always possible as some apps don’t allow for custom triggers, but there was a lot of issues he could help resolve. Lorna now thinks of him as an extension of the team.

[22:00] Another example of time-saving: Lorna’s team often have to fill out P11D’s and submit them to HMRC on behalf of clients. The format that is provided made it difficult for staff to fill out, meaning it caused a lot of headache and wasted a lot of time just trying to reformat them in an easily editable way. They managed to source a system that does this for them, at a small cost per year. It was definitely worth it – saving the whole team 3 days’ worth of time a year!

[26:00] Leonard Business Services is a perfect example of how taking a proactive approach can lead to great success. They have won a number of awards over the years, and will no doubt win many more in the future.

If you’d like to learn more about Leonard Business Services, check out their website! Also take a look at Lorna’s LinkedIn, where she shares a lot of insightful business tips.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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We’re already seeing the devastating effects of failing to maintain global warming at the 1.5 degrees, as pledged in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. In order to get this back on track we all need to consider our current energy consumption.

So, what can businesses do to manage their impact?

That’s where ISO 50001, the Standard for Energy Management, comes in! ISO 50001 can help your business to continually improve its energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system will ultimately help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy.

Today Darren Morrow, Senior Isologist here at Blackmores, joins us to share his top 5 top tips for ISO 50001 Implementation.

You’ll learn

What is ISO 50001?
5 top tips for Implementing and Energy Management System

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:52] We have a more detailed walkthrough of ISO 50001 Implementation available in our steps to success podcast series, which are episodes: 84, 85 and 88

[01:05] What is ISO 50001? ISO 50001 is all about continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. By Implementing an energy management system, you will be able to fully understand and monitor and measure your use of energy. Like most other ISO’s, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001, and It’s also based on the Annex SL format. So, it shares some similarities with Standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. If you’ve got ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there!

[01:40] ISO 50001 and ESOS – ISO 50001 can also help you comply with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme). If you’d like to learn more about that, listen to episode 138.

[02:50] Tip 1 – Top Management commitment and allocation of resources: This is vital, as the reason for implementation, management, requirements and aims along with expectations of everyone within the business for their support, is clearly demonstrated and communicated from the top down.

With an energy management system, part of this commitment includes making sure suitable resources are made available, this includes:

People – For implementation, maintenance and improvement of the systems, including the means of gathering and reporting data.
Financial support – There will be times where investment will be required. Ensuring existing equipment maintenance and servicing undertaken as required to maintain efficiency.

Allocate clear responsibilities for individuals e.g. gathering data such as meter readings, fuel usage, so that this is done consistently and the data is not only available but accurate.

[04:14] Tip 2 – Data: For data collection we need to understand certain things, an Energy review will support the identification of energy sources, identify and understand energy use and determine clear performance monitoring and indicators, leading to the determination of the data required. Some key considerations include:

Identify sources of energy and your energy consumption from the energy review
The quality, precision and accuracy of the data collected needs to be considered and monitored if measuring / monitoring results are to be meaningful.
Data collection frequency should be determined and maintained to support the overall statistical analysis.

Finally, set goals and targets for improvement (EnPIs) – this can be in overall energy consumption, specific equipment improvements, other ratios measures such as consumption per person of consumption vs revenue.

[06:10] Tip 3 – Align and Integrate with other business management systems, goals and strategies: Sounds simple, but not always undertaken effectively, when implementing an energy management system consider any other management system that is already in place and look at any similarities, any elements that already exist that can be tweaked or expanded – this way, it is treated as ‘business as usual’.

[07:20] Tip 4 – Communication, training and awareness: Communication plays a key role in any system, make sure you:

Communicate requirements, goals and commitments, and objectives or targets.
Keep staff informed of what’s going on as their involvement and direct actions support achieving goals and targets, along with identifying improvements.
Assign responsibilities, create a team and/or assign a champion – This supports the effectiveness of data collection, and also can increase motivation and encourage identification of energy saving opportunities

Energy savings require the commitment of the whole workforce. There ideally needs to be a champion in the organization who can drive change and savings.

[08:41] Tip 5 – Record opportunities for improving energy efficiency: Any and all identified opportunities can be, and should be logged and monitored for suitability, no matter how ‘far out there’ these may be.

Some may not be appropriate or feasible immediately, or in the short term, possibly due to costs / investment requirements. However, once an opportunity is logged, it can be monitored, assigned financial support and be planned for Implementation.

[10:40] We’re offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on isologyhub memberships until the 31^st October 2023! Contact us to book a demo

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s

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We sadly often see Management Systems fade into the background following successful certification. When this happens, it can stagnate and cease to be a driving force for continual Improvement within the business.

So, what can you do to reinvigorate interest?

That’s where the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan comes in! This Gameplan was created by today’s guest, Sarah Ball, an isologist here at Blackmores and one of the main driving forces behind our online membership – the isologyhub.

Today Sarah will continue on from the last episode and explain the last few steps in the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan.

You’ll learn

What is the isologyhub?
What are the final 4 steps in the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:55] The isologyhub is our online Membership our online membership site that includes a full ISO 14001 roadmap to help you create and launch your own bespoke environmental management system. Also included are a suite of templates and training on various ISO’s to help take you from zero to hero in ISO Standards.

[01:15] Sarah Ball created the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan in addition to many other resources on the hub. She is one of the key people behind the hub’s creation and currently drives it’s development.

[01:30] This is part 2! We covered what the Engagement Amplifier is, along with the first few steps in the Gameplan in the last episode. If you missed out, I highly recommend going back and giving it a listen.

[01:45] Step 4 – Champions: A team of management system Champions, whether that be Health & Safety Champions, Quality Champions or any other discipline, can have a significant impact on engagement levels. They can advocate for the management system and, crucially, Champions lead by example when they engage with the management system themselves. In Step 4, the Gameplan takes you through what Champions can do, what makes a good team of Champions and how to start your own team of Champions.

[03:40] Step 5 – Brand Boost: This is how you brand and sell your management system to your employees and other key stakeholders, which is crucial to how they relate to it and engage with it. It walks you through the importance of a brand identity for your management system, how to develop this and how to launch, or re-launch, the management system with a new brand within the business. This step can be useful for the implementation of your management system and for when engagement has really fallen. For further listening – go back to our ‘What’s in a Name’ episode.

[04:30] Practicing what we preach – We did a recent rebrand of our Management System at Blackmores. Even though it’s a mature system that’s many years old, we felt that it wasn’t doing much for us. So we followed our own plan and created H20 (How 2 Operate), a much more accessible and collaborative Management System that is housed on our shared Teams channel and SharePoint.

[05:40] Step 6 – Communicate and Celebrate: . Ongoing communication is a key part of maintaining momentum and engagement, it provides an opportunity to keep the management system at the forefront of people’s minds and to celebrate successes. It also allows you to recognise examples of engagement with the management system. The Gameplan takes you through what you should communicate and how and is something that you can revisit at any point as your management system matures.

[06:45] Step 7 – Momentum: Once you have reinvigorated engagement, it is crucial to maintain that momentum. This step takes members through how to recognise engagement, continue to reassess engagement levels and developing a future strategy to maintain the desired level of engagement.

[07:50] We’re offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on isologyhub memberships until the 31^st October 2023! Contact us to book a demo

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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When a Management System is first implemented, there is often a spotlight being cast on it’s importance to the business and everyone’s roles in relation to it.

However, we often see this buzz quickly fall off, letting the Management System fade into the background. When this happens, it can stagnate and cease to be a driving force for continual Improvement within the business.

So what can you do to reinvigorate interest?

That’s where the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan comes in! This Gameplan was created by today’s guest, Sarah Ball, an isologist here at Blackmores and also one of the main driving forces behind our online membership – the isologyhub.

Today Sarah will explain exactly what the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan is, who it’s suitable for and give an overview of the first few steps.

You’ll learn

What is the Engagement Amplifier?
Who is the Engagement Amplifier for?
What are the first 3 steps in the Gameplan?
How long does it take to action this Gameplan?

Resources

isologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:25] The isologyhub is our online Membership our online membership site that includes a full ISO 14001 roadmap to help you create and launch your own bespoke environmental management system. Also included are a suite of templates and training on various ISO’s to help take you from zero to hero in ISO Standards.

[01:45] What is the Engagement Amplifier? The Engagement Amplifier Gameplan, like all the Gameplan in the isologyhub, is an action plan, something you can follow to transform an aspect of your management system. In this case, to increase engagement from across your business and key stakeholders with your management system.

[02:05] What does the Engagement Amplifier aim to address? It is very common after a period of time for management systems to fade into the background a little. The risk when there is a lack of engagement is that the management system begins to stagnate and no longer drives the business forward. So, reinvigorating that engagement is really crucial and the Gameplan walks you through the steps to assess what your level of engagement is now, where you want it to be and how you can get there.

[04:05] Who would this Gameplan be good for? – The Engagement Amplifier Gameplan is good for any company with a management system in place. And for any point in the maturity of your management system. Certainly, the first part of the Gameplan where you will determine what your engagement goal is, and what level of engagement you currently have.

[05:55] Step 1: Assess – This gives an overview of what good engagement looks like, why it is important to measure and, importantly, how you can measure the engagement you have.

[05:40] Step 2: Myth Busting – This is important because a common cause of a lack of engagement is a lack of understanding about what the management system is and how people should engage with it. In this step we explain what some of the myths are and what the reality is, so that members can address these myths in their own business.

[07:15] Step 3: Leadership – This is really key as the approach of the Leadership Team to the management system is one of the biggest factors in the level of engagement with the management system. Leadership set the tone of the organisation’s culture and have a significant role in embedding your management system into daily operations and aligning it to your strategy and vision. In this step there are activities for the Leadership team to complete to define how the management system can support strategic goals. As well as practical tips on how the Leadership level can show their commitment and promote engagement with the management system.

[08:40] How long would it take for someone to action this Gameplan? – That can vary a lot depending on how much time you have available to dedicate to it and how many people you want to get involved. It’s certainly not intended to be done in a day or even a week. You will need time within each step to engage with others, get feedback and analyse information. Sarah would suggest at least a month, but potentially longer depending on other priorities.

[09:50] We’re offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on isologyhub memberships until the 31^st October 2023! Contact us to book a demo

Stay tuned for next week’s episode where Sarah will be joining us again to cover steps 4 – 7 of the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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With a growing number of threats and risks facing businesses every day, it’s never been more crucial to have a proper system in place to mitigate and manage issues when they crop up.

A variety of ISO Standards can help businesses to do just that! And we’re seeing an ever-increasing trend of requests for Integrated Management Systems, which combine multiple ISO certifications to cover every aspect of their business. Such is the case with today’s guest, Todd Research.

Todd Research have been in the business of designing, manufacturing and supplying X-ray scanners for 70 years. They have since expanded their product range to include other solutions, all designed to detect suspect devices.

We’re joined by Caroline Banks, Support Manager at Todd Research, to learn about why they decided to implement ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 27001 (Information Security), including an insight into their experience with our ISO 14001 coaching programme, hosted on the isologyhub.

You’ll learn

Who are Todd Research?
Why did they choose to Implement ISO 9001 and ISO 27001?
What challenges did they face?
The benefits of ISO 9001 and ISO 27001
Their experience with our ISO 14001 coaching Programme

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:37] An introduction to Todd Research and Caroline Banks’ role as Support Manager there.

[01:20] What is something not many people know about Caroline? She’s taken up running and started with the couch to 5K. She later completed a half-marathon in the same year, and has since gone on to finish 21 more half-marathons and 2 full ones!

[02:27] Who are Todd Research? They were founded in 1950, designing, manufacturing and supplying X-ray scanning equipment. They also provide service and maintenance for their devices worldwide.

[03:11] What Standards are they certified to? ISO 9001 (Quality Management, inherited from a previous company) and ISO 27001 (Information Security Management)

[03:48] What was the main driver for achieving ISO 9001 and ISO 27001? – For ISO 9001 – As a manufacturing company, they want to ensure that they can provide the best quality in terms of product and service. For ISO 27001 – This was more sales driven and was being requested in a lot of tenders, particularly Government tenders.

[04:35] How did Caroline manage an inherited Quality Management System? – Caroline completely revamped the inherited Management System, making it their own and adapting it to suit how they currently run their business. It involved a lot of review and removal of unnecessary documentation, with the end result of streamlining the whole system. They also appreciated a 3^rd party coming into review and assist with the process. After moving to a new premises, they are still continually Improving system year on year.

[06:25] How long did it take to achieve certification to ISO 27001? – They started in April 2021 with a Gap Analysis and gained certification in September 2021 (6 months in total). As they already held ISO 9001, they made the decision early on to integrate the two Standards into a Business Management System.

[07:50] What was the biggest gap found after the initial ISO 27001 Gap Analysis? – The biggest challenge for Todd Research was carrying out the Risks Assessments. Getting Directors involved in the review of Standards and agreeing what risks applied to them took the most time in the early stages.

[09:00] Caroline’s experience with ISO 27001 – While she had experience with ISO 9001, ISO 27001 was a whole new ball game. There are a lot of risks associated with Information Security including, phishing, malware, risks to hardware ect. This was all new territory for Caroline, but she adapted and learned a lot along the way.

[09:50] What difference has the Management System made to the business? – It’s unique to them and their way of working, especially as a result of integrating the two Standards into a single Management System. The whole process gave them a chance to look at the business with a new perspective, which in turn helped them to streamline a lot of processes.

[10:20] What lessons have they learned from Implementing ISO 9001 and ISO 27001? – Caroline now has a better understanding of how the business works from all angles, from manufacturing to finance. Her experience with having Blackmore assist with Internal Audits highlighted the need and importance of impartiality.

[11:20] What are the main benefits? – For them, it’s having an Integrated Management System, as a lot of aspects of various ISO Standards share similarities, and it just makes sense to combine them to save on doubling up on documented information. Caroline also highlights the Corrective Actions Log as her key tool for managing actions following on from Internal Audits, allowing for a proactive approach for business improvement on a weekly basis.

[12:50] What is the ENE / ISO 14001 Coaching programme? – Blackmores secured some European funding to support 7 businesses in the East of England to raise awareness of environmental issues and implement some practical tools for Environmental Management. We opted for an ISO 14001 focus and utilized our online membership portal, the isologyhub, as the host with additional coaching from one of our experienced consultants.

[13:25] What was Caroline’s experience with the isologyhub and the ISO 14001 coaching programme – Todd Research made the decision early on not to go for ISO 14001 certification. The experience gave Caroline a good insight into what the requirements are for the Environmental Management Standard in preparation for potentially certifying in future.

Caroline highlights the wealth of information available in the hub, including documentation which supplemented the coaching sessions. Her 1-2-1 coaching sessions resulted in deeper analysis of what their business can act on to improve their impact, for example putting in place a scrap metal policy for X-ray scanners and equipment that needs to be disposed of. They have also streamlined their Engineer’s service visits, by making the most of them while in any given area to reduce the carbon impact of travel.

[17:00] What was the most useful resource in the isologyhub? – The training provided for carrying out Risk Assessments, with a focus on their environmental risks.

[18:05] What was the main benefit of achieving certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 27001? – Having both standards sets them aside from their competitors, as many have ISO 9001 but not many have ISO 27001. It also brings a sense of continuity to the business.

[18:55] Caroline’s top tips – Use an independent company (such as Blackmores) to assist with Implementation. Having a helping experienced hand will make the journey run a lot more smoothly and will give you piece of mind, especially as you have your own day job to worry about!

[19:30] A reminder that the ISO 27001 Transition Gameplan is available on the isologyhub – ISO 27001 recently updated, and those certified with need to update to the latest 2022 version of the Standard. Our Transition Gameplan will guide you through the changes and what needs to be done to update your Management System.

[21:17] Caroline’s book recommendation – ‘Menopausing’ by Davina McCall

[22:17] Caroline’s favorite quote – ‘It’s not so much that I began to run, it’s that I continued’

You can find out more about Todd Research via their website!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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Anyone whose been involved in the implementation or maintenance of an ISO Management System will know it’s not a small feat. There’s a lot of time and teamwork involved in getting a system in place for certification, so it’s definitely a cause for celebration when you finally do get that certificate at the end!

But what can you do with that? A lot of companies will get an ISO certification as a necessity, whether that be an industry requirement, legal requirement or client requirement. Often times, they’re quite content to just let those interested parties know about it and leave it at that. Which is a shame, as we think it’s something worth shouting about.

It’s a display of your commitment to best practice, whether that be in quality, health & safety, information security, risk management or any combination of those – and better still, it’s a globally recognised certification.

In this episode, Stephanie Churchman, Communications Manager at Blackmores, will take you through a few ways you can celebrate your ISO success.

You’ll learn

Why promote your ISO certification?
How can you promote your ISO success?
How can Blackmores help you celebrate your ISO success?

Resources

Isologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Mel will be back in the next episode after taking a well deserved break 😊

[01:15] Why celebrate your success? You / your team worked hard to put that Management System in place and get it ready for certification, so it’s worth celebrating when you finally do get that certificate. It’s also a globally recognised certification that displays your commitment to Best Practice.

[02:23] #1 Certificate Award ceremony – This is something you may need to organise ahead of getting your final certificate. It’s worth asking your certification body if they do a certificate award ceremony. Some CB’s will invite clients to a location to hand out certificates in a batch – or they may be happy to come an officially award you your certificate on your own premises. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to get a photo that you can then use later on your website or in social media, in addition to making it more of an event.

[03:09] Publish a blog or news article – This is a newsworthy event! And you should take the time to write a short statement for your website – Bonus points if you can get some statements from those involved with the process. It doesn’t have to be overly long, it can just be a short paragraph.

[03:35] Social Media Post – Social media is the main place a lot of people get information nowadays. Many platforms have character limits, so you can keep it short and sweet, as this is just to inform your wider audience who may not regularly visit your website. On platforms like LinkedIn, you can even tag some key members involved so they can add their own comments and experience under the post.

This is also a great opportunity to work in collaboration with your Certification Body – as they’re also keen to show off their clients successes. It’s worth getting in touch with their marketing team and ask if they’d be happy for you to tag them in a post– so they can reciprocate with a post and tag of your company – which would in turn expand your audience for that post significantly depending on how much reach the certification body has.

[04:54] Website Promotion – You could make a more permanent addition to your website. A lot of businesses tend to have a page for awards and accreditations, which is the perfect place to display the digital badge that your certification body will provide following certification. You could also link your current certificate if so inclined. Another place we often see clients displaying those digital badges is the website footer, it’s unobtrusive but makes for something a bit more eye catching when displayed next to the typical links you see in website footers.

[05:35] Email Signatures – Are another subtle way to make sure those digital badges get some use and imprint themselves in the minds of anyone you contact. It’s a relatively easy update to make and is just another way to make sure it’s seen by both internal and external contacts on a daily basis.

[05:55] Newsletters – Many of you will have some sort of weekly, monthly or annual communications with your clients and prospects. Make sure to include a mention of your certification in the next update. If you wanted to make it something special, make it a main feature and include some story behind the why and how you went about Implementation. Let your audience know why that certificate is important and highlight any notable success as a result of that certification, i.e. with ISO 50001 (energy management), you may have already made significant changes to reduce your energy consumption. Whether that be switching all your lighting to a more eco-friendly option or sharing some actual figures on energy reduction following certification.

[06:50] Case Studies – This is just another way to get your ISO journey written down in a concise, easy to digest format that can then be shared via your website and social channels. It’s another great place to highlight the why, how, any challenges you overcame and what your next steps are.

Keep it to 1 page if possible – as people often get turned off by looking at a daunting page count. Bullet point what you can and expand where needed, as that helps to break up walls of text and just makes it a bit easier for people to read. Take a look at some examples online for layout inspiration – there’s no shortage out there. Of course, if you work with us, we’re happy to do all the design and writing for you.

[07:45] Podcast / Video – Not everyone is going to have the means to publish videos and podcasts – So this won’t be applicable to everyone, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to drop this idea entirely. For example, we feature a lot of clients on our podcast and we’re more than happy for them to use their episode in marketing, or on their site or wherever they want to. So, if you work with a third party that has a podcast or produces their own videos, it’s worth an ask to see if they’d be open to featuring you.

For those that do have the means to do this in-house – It’s highly recommended that you do either one or both of these, as you can then link back to them in social posts and other marketing.

[08:50] This isn’t a one time thing – you can re-use a lot of these resources elsewhere, and remind others that you hold certain certifications when appropriate.

[09:15] The main takeaway is – You worked hard to earn that certificate, so don’t let it be a quiet victory.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

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The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5^th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.

Over the last few episodes we’ve explored two routes to compliance: Energy Audits and ISO 50001. As we explained, ISO 50001 goes above and beyond ESOS requirements and ensures you don’t have to gather an evidence pack every four years to prove compliance.

However, there are many more benefits to ISO 50001 than just it’s compliance with ESOS requirements. Join Mel this week as she dives into the other benefits ISO 50001, including real world examples from some global brand names.

You’ll learn

Why Implement ISO 50001?
What are the benefits of ISO 50001?
Who has found success with ISO 50001?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:35] Watch our previous episodes to learn more about Energy Audits and ISO 50001

[01:41] Benefit #1: Cost savings – By Improving your energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, you can save a startling amount. ISO 50001 helps you to put a system in place that will allow optimisation of your energy usage.

[02:20] Benefit #2: Compliance – ISO 50001 can help you comply with the likes of ESOS and SECR. Carbon reporting and legal requirements in relation to it are global, any countries lagging behind on these requirements will soon adopt or create their own in response to the limited time we have left to reduce the effects of the climate crisis.

[02:45] Benefit #3: Reduce your environmental Impact – By reducing energy usage and switching to more energy efficient means, you will reduce your carbon emissions. ISO 50001 also acts as a complementary tool to ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) that many already have in place.

[03:10] Benefit #4: A coordinated approach – Companies, especially large ones, may have multiple systems in place to manage energy. ISO 50001 helps to create a universal framework that can be applied to a whole business.

[03:25] Benefit #5: External Incentives – There may be external benefits that can be gained by proving that you are taking steps to reduce your environmental impact. This could include tax benefits, insurance ect

[04:25] Benefit #6 Informed funding – There is a lot of funding out there to help companies with new green technology. Having ISO 50001 in place will give you a consistent overview of your energy usage, so you’ll be able to make informed funding choices based on where more savings can be made in terms of emissions and general costs.

[04:55] Benefit #7 Track Objectives – ISO 50001 can help you set Objectives and then set policies and procedures to help make those a reality. Those familiar with ISO Standards will know that it’s all about continual Improvement, so you’ll always be making progress.

[05:30] Benefit #8 Credibility – ISO 50001 is an internationally recognised Standard, and is a mark of your credibility. This can be used in marketing materials, displayed on your website, used in Case Studies ect.

[06:35] You don’t have to be a large brand or organisation to Implement ISO 50001. It can be implemented for a business of any size where energy is a significant environmental Impact.

[07:05] Hilton’s success with ISO 50001: One of the world’s largest hotel chains, Hilton was the first global hospitality company to achieve portfolio-wide certification to ISO 50001. The savings have been significant, reducing Hilton’s energy intensity by 20.6% and its carbon intensity by 30.0% from a 2008 baseline.

[07:55] Bentley’s success with ISO 50001: Reduced energy usage by two-thirds for each car produced and by 14% overall for the entire plant, delivering savings of 230 GWh of energy – enough to power 11,500 houses for a year!

[09:37] Hitachi’s success with ISO 50001: Following the Japanese earthquake disaster in 2011, Hitachi decided to introduce “the smart next-generation factory plan”. Following implementation of ISO 50001, the plant reduced 23 % of the contract electricity, 15 % of CO2 emissions and 5 million yen/month of electricity costs.

[10:12] Toyota’s success with ISO 50001: Implementation of ISO 50001 resulted in a reduction in electricity usage which has translated into cost-savings of more than R4.8 million (Over £210,000!) over a two-year period. The company also generated energy savings of GWh 8.15 across its 14 plants, and reduced its GHG emissions by 7,804 tons.

[10:50] Schneider Electric’s success with ISO 50001: The company adopted ISO 50001 certification in order to maximise energy performance. Following the certification, the business’ energy performance increased by 10.5%, with savings totaling £26,500 over 3 years.

[12:15] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools

For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16^th June.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s

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Last week Mel explained the Energy Audits route to compliance, which is a process that must be repeated every 4 years. Companies that want to avoid the inevitable rush to get reports submitted before the deadline may want to consider a more long-term commitment to ensure continued compliance, that being the Implementation of ISO 50001.

ISO 50001 is the standard for Energy Management, and it goes above and beyond what is required of ESOS. Companies certified to this standard are already considered compliant to ESOS with out the need to complete any additional reporting outside of what is already monitored and measured by the standard.

Join Mel this week as she explains what ISO 50001 is, how it complies with ESOS requirements and the key differences between other environmental standards such as ISO 14001.

You’ll learn

What is ISO 50001?
How ISO 50001 complies with ESOS?
What is the difference between ISO 50001 and ISO 14001?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:50] Watch our previous episode to learn more about Energy Audits

[01:00] Reminder: Companies certified to ISO 50001 do not have to carry our Energy Audits.

[01:14] What is ISO 50001? This is the Energy Management Standard, a globally recognised best practice framework designed to help manage a companies energy performance, optimise their energy efficiency and reduce their overall impact.

[01:50] Why have a Standard for Energy Management? This standard is most appliable for businesses who are looking to put measures in place to reduce their overall environmental impact, specifically in relation to energy management. Businesses who operate data centers or large healthcare facilities will use a lot of energy, many Implement ISO 50001 to help reduce their costs for energy.

[02:48] Why Implement ISO 50001 if you already have ISO 14001? – ISO 50001 is specifically aimed at the energy aspect of environmental impact. It helps businesses to take a deeper look at their operations and how their managing energy performance. If you already have ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there, and ISO 50001 could easily be integrated as an enhancement to your Management System.

[03:25] If you want to claim ESOS compliance, it’s important to ensure that your ISO 50001 certification is valid for the compliance date.

[03:50] If you want to go down the ISO 50001 route, the time to act in now (April / May 2023) – You will need to factor in a minimum of 6 months to Implement ISO 50001. Need help with this? Contact us!

[04:40] There has been an increase in uptake of ISO 50001, which has put a lot of UK certification Bodies under pressure to get Assessments booked in before the ESOS deadline. So get in touch with a few UKAS accredited Certification Bodies ASAP to find out if they can accommodate you in an appropriate time frame. We offer a quote request service for free, simply contact us for more info.

[05:50] More about ISO 50001 – It’s based on the Plan-Do-Act-Check cycle, which is a familiar structure to a lot of ISO’s. Many aspects of ISO 50001 Implementation will be similar to the likes of ISO 9001, i.e. having policies and procedures in place and conducting Internal Audits ect.

[06:34] How does ISO 50001 differ from ISO 14001? – The main difference is the requirement for an Energy Review. This is all about understanding how you’re using energy as an organisation, then using that information to recommend controls to reduce energy use.

[07:43] You will be able to determine your Energy Performance Indicators following on from an Energy Review. These help to establish a clear roadmap and energy controls for reducing energy usage. For example, you could put controls in place for certain equipment, LED light replacements, cycle to work or car share schemes ect.

[08:45] What is the benefit of ISO 50001 over Energy Audits?: ISO 50001 puts a whole system in place to continually Improve your energy performance through controls and procedures. Energy Audits will only tell you about your current energy use and provide recommendations for Improvement with no clear roadmap or further incentive to Implement those changes.

[09:00] What else is involved with ISO 50001?: Another key aspect of ISO 50001 is the continued monitoring and measurement of energy performance. This can then be reported back to the board so they can see the progress being made.

[10:00] What are the key clauses in ISO 50001? ISO 50001 went under a revision in 2018 to align itself with Annex SL, which is common across a lot of other ISO’s. The 10 clauses are as follows:

Clauses 1,2,3 – Explanatory clauses. You won’t Implement these, they simply provide context and help with key terms and definitions.
Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation
Clause 5 – Leadership
Clause 6 – Planning
Clause 7 – Support
Clause 8 – Operations
Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation
Clause 10 – Improvement

[11:00] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools

For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16^th June.

Tune in next week where we explore the many benefits of Implementing ISO 50001.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s

Over the next few weeks, we will focus on how you can comply with ESOS, starting with Energy Audits. These audits are required by ESOS in order to understand where and how energy is used within the organisations premises and operations. Every audit will recommend cost-effective measures that will save the organisation energy and money, which is the ultimate intention of the legislation.

Join Mel this week as she explains what Energy Audits are, what data you need to report on and what final sign-off is required before a report is submitted.

You’ll learn

Who needs to comply with ESOS?
How can you comply with ESOS?
What are Energy Audits?
What data do you need to gather?
Who needs to sign-off the ESOS report before submission?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:44] The deadline for Phase 3 ESOS reporting is the 5^th December. Remember that ISO 50001 is considered a route to compliance if you don’t want to go ahead with conducting Energy Audits.

[01:32] What is ESOS? ESOS stands for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme. It was launched by the department of energy and climate change, Deck, back in July 2013. It was established to comply with Article 8 – an EU directive that was created in 2014. Despite Brexit, any qualifying businesses must still comply. ESOS in simple terms is an energy assessment that must be carried out by its definition of large enterprises.

[02:50] Who qualifies for ESOS? Large enterprises as defined by ESOS are businesses that have more than 250 employees and / or an annual turnover exceeding 50 million euro or a balance sheet exceeding 43 million euro. This only applies to the private sector – the public sector is exempt.

[03:33] When does ESOS reporting occur? Every 4 years – The first phase staring in 2014, Phase 2 was in 2019 and Phase 3 will have it’s deadline this year.

[04:08] Why is ESOS important? – No matter where you are in the world, energy reduction is crucial. Businesses should also be well aware of their own energy use and impact, not only to reduce but hopefully offset as part of ongoing sustainability efforts.

[04:35] It’s estimated that there will be a net benefit of £1.6 billion as a result of ESOS to the UK alone.

[04:55] What do you need to do to comply with ESOS? An ESOS assessment requires you to do 3 things:

Measure your total energy consumption
Conduct Energy Audits – to identify cost effective energy reduction recommendations
To report compliance back to the Environment Agency (For the UK, other European countries will have their own authority)

[05:42] How can you comply with ESOS? – There are 2 routes to compliance:

Conduct Energy / ESOS Audits
Implement ISO 50001 – Companies certified to this standard are already complying with ESOS, as it goes above and beyond ESOS’s requirements.

[07:20] What’s involved in an ESOS Energy Audit? – You will be required to collect 12 months of energy data, provide cost effective energy reduction recommendations for the areas audited in scope, and findings need to be reviewed by an ESOS Lead Assessor.

[08:00] What do you need to consider when collecting data and looking at where reductions can be made? – Facilities – i.e. heating, lighting, ventilation ect. There are a number of energy efficiency initiatives to help reduce costs involved with elements of facility management. It can be something simple like replacing old boilers, using energy efficient Led lighting, reducing working hours in the office, reviewing time settings for lighting, ventilation and heating ect. Many businesses leave unnecessary functions and devices on overnight, start looking at how much energy you’re using and where, and you’ll be able to identify where energy use and costs can be cut.

[10:20] Other things to consider are additional warehouses or transportation within your business i.e. fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance ect.

[10:53] To truly make a difference, you need to spread awareness within your business about any changes you’re making as a result of these energy audits. Including any reminders to them i.e. turning off lights when they leave a premises.

[11:05] What do you need to do to carry out an ESOS Energy Audit?:

You need to plan the audit – including establishing the scope
Conduct the audit
Collect data for analysis and identify the opportunities for improvement
Pull together all the documentation in an ESOS evidence pack which will be reviewed and signed off by top management and an ESOS Lead Assessor
Finally, you can submit that evidence pack to the Environment Agency

If you need help with any of this – Blackmores can help 😉

[11:45] What are the different data sources you should look at? Meter reading records, delivery notes, automatic meter readings ect. We find that the financial team and facility managers are instrumental in gathering the necessary data. Don’t forget to gather any travel information from your drivers or vehicle fleet managers!

[12:31] Establishing the scope and documentation – You will need to set the scope and boundaries of the audit, document the methodology for your data collection and recommendations for improvement, document your data sources and identify any gaps.

[13:00] Final sign-off: Once everything has been documented in an evidence pack, you need to get this signed off by a director or member of top management and by an ESOS energy assessor. Once done, you can submit this to the Environment Agency

Tune in next week where we explore the ISO 50001 route to ESOS compliance.

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Sustainability should be a top priority for any business going into 2023. The last few years’ worth of extreme weather have proven that action needs to be taken now to protect our future. But where do you start?

While there are a lot of great ideas out there, it’s becoming increasingly clear that a standardised approach is needed to keep everything on track. Which is where ISO Standards come into play – having been promoted heavily at the last few COP conferences, there are a whole range of environmental Standards to help businesses manage and reduce their impact.

One of the most popular being ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), which was adopted by the subject of today’s interview – dotdigital.

dotdigital is an online marketing company who specialise in email and SMS marketing automation, tailoring customer experience and providing solid data analysis tools.

Mel is joined by Steve Shaw, Chief Product & Technology Officer at dotdigitial, to talk about the positive impacts following on from their successful ISO 14001 implementation, and to explain some of their fantastic sustainable initiatives introduced over the past few years.

You’ll learn

Who are dotdigital?
How do dotdigital manage their Environmental Management System?
What are dotdigital’s sustainable initiatives?
What have they learned through the implementation of ISO 14001?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:07] Listen to our previous interview with dotdigital – where we discussed their ISO 27001 (Information Security) certification.

[01:32] An introduction to Steve Shaw – He is the Chief Product & Technology Officer at dotdigtal, who oversees a lot of their innovators (which comprises of software engineers and those involved with product development and support). He also manages the various acquisitions for the group.

[03:15] Who are dotdigital? Dotdigital have been around since 1999, they have evolved and adapted to join the growing SaaS market. They provide a range of automated marketing solutions in addition to a customer experience and data platform. They recently celebrated reaching 400 employees and have become AIM listed.

[03:52] What can dotdigital’s platform do? Data collection and analysis to build a profile for single or groups of users. This data can then be used in combination with AI and machine learning to create a tailored digital journey with a brand.

[05:15] How do dotdigital manage their current ISO 14001 certified system? – Their Management System is an integrated Management System, which provides the business with a central hub to work from. They have an established team who are tasked with the management of their ISO system (this is not a dedicated role for anyone in that team). Part of their role involves looking at the businesses aspects and impacts to see where the biggest consumption of energy is happening, measuring this consumption and setting objectives to help reduce this where possible.

[06:51] dotdigital was the worlds first carbon neutral marketing automation platform that was ISO 14001 certified. They also aim to be net zero by 2030!

[07:10] They have a relatively small footprint as a primarily digital based company, only really having to consider the running of computers, air conditioning and standard office facilities. So it can be a challenge to reduce!

[08:30] What led to the success of dotgreen? – dotdigital launched a group called dotgreen, which has since thrived into a community of likeminded individuals all working together to improve and reduce dotdigital’s impact. They were fortunate to have an Executive group sponsor who can take ideas and suggestions to other leadership for consideration. This grassroots group encourages suggestions from everyone – no idea is a bad idea. Over time, the group evolved and helped to develop a sustainability programme for the business.

[10:30] What was one of the initiatives implemented from dotgreen? – They identified that existing data centers used by the business weren’t always utilising renewable energy. So, over the course of 2 years, they worked with Microsoft to build on their Azure platform to enable dotdigital to make the switch. Azure runs on renewable energy sources, and any remaining emissions can be offset through carbon credits.

[12:00] A green option for their customers – As a result of their cloud platform now being run through green partners, they can extend the environmental benefit to their customers.

[14:00] A sustainable culture shift – The introduction of dotgreen, it’s initiatives and the success of certification to ISO 14001 fostered a shift in the businesses culture. It spread to all aspects of the business – even resulting in their marketing team making the decision to not send out Christmas gifts and instead used the money to buy credits for tree planting.

[15:25] What is dotvoice? – Another pillar in the internal mechanisms of dotdigital. This voluntary group look at how they can promote awareness of different issues. One such example was organising interviews to celebrate the women in tech at dotdigital for International Women’s Day.

[17:10] Adapting – Like many businesses, they had to adapt over Covid to allow for home working. Following on from feedback, they have kept up with hybrid working. This means that meeting in-person usually becomes a big event! They ensure that all employees are taken care of, even creating another pillar called dotwellbeing to offer mental health support.

[21:53] Through the use of dotgreen and dotvoice, they promote voluntary days to assist with local initiatives and charities (many of which are their clients – such as the Woodland Trust).

[23:20] What have dotdigital learned over the years of maintaining an ISO 14001 certified system?

Don’t rush for certification if it can be helped, take the time to put the right people and resources in place to start the process.
It can be beneficial to enlist the help of a third party to guide you through your first Implementation.
ISO 14001 helped to put tools in place to measure aspects and impacts – which in turn assisted with their SECR requirements
Manage your system centrally. ISO Standards should be embedded into the business

[23:20] Steve’s top tips: Get leadership support, look for passionate individuals to get involved, let the Standard guide you and don’t be afraid to set lofty goals.

[23:20] Steve’s book recommendation: Creativity Inc – by Ed Catmull

[23:20] Steve’s favorite quote: “The only constant in life is change” / “Some people want it to happen, some wish it could happen and others make it happen”

You can find out more about dotdigital via their website.

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With the pandemic being the driving force behind more remote working than ever before, health and safety professionals are becoming increasingly tech-savvy. All evidence points to them increasing their reliance on Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to keep on top of H&S compliance and the ever-changing risks that are presenting themselves to businesses the world over.

Companies such as Riskex offer many software solutions to make Health and Safety Professionals’ lives easier, by streamlining compliance processes, gathering better safety data and providing total visibility on the performance of risk management. As a result, they keep a keen eye on new technology being adopted by the H&S sector.

Mel is joined by James Sharp, Chief Technical Officer at Riskex, to explain the top 10 emerging Software as a Solution trends in Health and Safety.

You’ll learn

Who are Riskex?
Why are people leaning towards SaaS?
What are the top 10 emerging SaaS trends in health and safety?
What solutions do Riskex provide?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:40] An introduction to Riskex and James Sharp’s role as Chief Technical Officer there.

[02:51] What is AssessNET? AssessNET is an online Health and Safety / Risk Management System designed to help streamline compliance processes and make gathering data much easier.

[04:00] Riskex have been certified to a number of ISO Standards, including ISO 18001 (Prior Health and Safety Standard, now certifying to the latest version, ISO 45001), ISO 27001 (Information Security) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management)

[06:20] Software as a Service became very popular during Covid, as business became very fragmented and were looking for solutions that could be rolled out across multiple sites. Riskex also created their own track and trace system based on established software they were already offering – helping businesses manage Covid safely.

[08:40] Trend #1 – Artificial Intelligence – Artificial learning is all around us and with vast volumes of data being collected by safety management platforms. AI allows decision engines to predict and provide guidance based on key trends or established KPI’s. For example, if accident rates were to increase but at the same time risk levels have been reducing, it could soon highlight this trend and look at other surrounding data or previous trends to establish a pattern. This will lead to a more pro-active approach to reporting and subsequent decision-making.

[10:35] Trend #2 – API Connectivity – Providing an open API platform will allow businesses to integrate internal systems and external services to digest data. As more organisations adopt Cloud solutions, connectivity between platforms has become increasingly important. With a robust API offering, multiple business services can interact with ease and become part of the safety management space, without incurring significant cost or time.

[11:50] Trend #3 – Low-Code Optimisation – Developing generic components within software to allow for quicker builds, implementations and tailoring requests. As stand-alone and generic component development increases, solutions can offer more flexibility and self-serve options to the end user to assist them with aligning platforms with their specific processes.

[13:30] Trend #4 – Mobile Optimisation – More and more end-users are accessing health and safety software via their mobiles but for various reasons, are not always able to use native apps (installed on the device). Therefore, health and safety software platforms need to adapt use on multiple devices, without the loss of features.

[14:45] Trend #5 – Vertical SaaS – Configuring EHS Software to align with the specific risks, terminology and processes that are pertinent to a given sector. As systems continue to grow in terms of sophistication and the ability to customise, so does the need to ensure that they remain User-friendly. A key factor to consider is that each industry has its own set of industry codes of practice, regulations, hazards and risks – and EHS systems need to be designed with these in mind.

[15:50] Trend #6 – White Labelling – Integrating 3rd party EHS platforms into a client’s corporate brand identity. When it comes to optimising User engagement and embedding technology effectively into business operations, it is important that the look and feel of the system interface is aligned with an organisations branding, company values and mission to create a more cohesive User experience. Riskex have embraced this by offering ‘FreshNet’ to clients, which can be tailored and aligned with clients existing branding.

[17:10] Trend #7 – Centralised Analytics (BI) – Robust Health and Safety management systems rely on an abundance of performance data arising from core processes – Risk Assessments, Audits, Contractor Governance, Incident Management and so on. The sheer volume of information generated by these processes can provide a wealth of positive opportunities to improve safety outcomes, if analysed correctly – which is where BI platforms come in to help provide an overall picture of risk performance management.

[19:40] Trend #8 – Micro-SaaS – Deploying discreet elements of a SaaS platform to work as standalone entities to fit a specific customer requirement. Modular-based solutions or smaller SaaS platforms can meet the needs of those organisations that may only require a specific feature, not necessarily a holistic service.

[20:30] Trend #9 – Machine Learning – This is a subset of AI, machine learning learns as it goes, picking up trends and offering insights for consideration.

[21:27] Trend #10 – Customer Experience – Customer Experience, in terms of both usability and service will outshine complex offerings. As SaaS becoming commonplace from both consumer and commercial perspectives, User’s expectations regarding Customer Experience are growing sharply when they are looking to make technology purchase decisions. Successful EHS SaaS vendors put significant focus and investment in optimising the Customer Experience, both in terms of interface and functionality, to reduce the barriers to adoption by focusing on how Users interact with their solutions.

[28:00] Businesses usually have a very limited Health and Safety resource. SaaS solutions enables informed decisions to be made despite a lack of human resources available.

You can find out more about Riskex via their website. Don’t forget to check out their Health and Safety Management software – AssessNET

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To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C, as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality will involve offsetting a certain amount of emissions.

Treeconomy are one of the few companies in the UK that offer credible carbon credits. Backed by principles of PAS 2060 (Carbon Neutrality), they seek to break the greenwashing cycle.

Mel is joined by Harry Grocott, CEO and Co-founder of Treeconomy, to discuss their credible carbon offsetting schemes and the innovative technology they use to help quantify the value of nature.

You’ll learn

Who are Treeconomy?
What is the difference between services offered for landowners and Offset buyers?
Can you quantify the value of nature?
How can people be sure that they don’t fall prey to Greenwashing?
How can someone go about buying and monitoring offsetting credits?
Are Treeconomy’s carbon offsetting schemes verified?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Catch up our episodes covering the Sustainable Development Goals (Part 1 / Part 2), ISO 14064 and PAS 2060.

[01:00] Treeconomy are a company that offer credible carbon offsetting schemes – they are one of the few companies who are recognised by PAS 2060 (the Standard for Carbon Neutrality)

[02:05] Harry Grocott (CEO) introduces Treeconomy – A nature based, carbon removal and restoration company that operate in the UK and Internationally. They offer schemes that work towards afforestation, peatland restoration, rewilding ect. They are also keen to enable evidencing the impact, developing a software platform, remote sensing, and AI technology to do so.

[03:41] They are part of the Centre for climate change innovation which is an initiative of Imperial College London and the Royal Institution to catalyse innovation of all forms that address the causes and effects of climate change.

[04:22] What is the difference in services for Landowners and Offset Buyers? For landowners, Treeconomy can help you change land use from one to another. I.e changing land used for sheep grazing into something more carbon intensive. Treeconomy will ensure that any project started with them is a verified Carbon Scheme – in-line with the woodland carbon code. Once your project set up has been completed and verified, Treeconomy will assist in the sale of credible carbon credits.

[07:22] For offset buyers: Treeconomy offer a wide range of projects and varyingly priced carbon credits.

[07:45] Can we quantify the value of nature? Short answer right now is no, but there is a lot of nuance. Nature offers ecosystem services i.e. farms offer a calorific benefit, we can put a price on the value that offers. The same principle applies to resources such as wood or oil. Now we are gaining the ability to quantify CO2 removal, which is undeniably valuable to humanity.

[09:18] Other more recent services such as biodiversity projects are a bit harder to quantify – as they vary so much depending on the country. However, we are starting to assign value to these.

[12:15] How can people be sure that they don’t fall prey to Greenwashing? There are 2 main issues to consider: 1) Are your carbon credits credible? 2) what claims are top management making?

[12:44] Tackling claims made by leadership: ISO standards are starting to solve this issue. There are clear requirements and certifications that need to be in place to back those claims.

[13:00] Tackling carbon credits: The carbon offsetting market is heavily unregulated currently. Essentially it’s a lot of people trading in invisible gas. There are a number of carbon standards (Not quite at the same level as ISO Standards), such as the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland Code, and Internationally there are standards such as Verra VSC – unfortunately, a lot of these standards aren’t very robust and aren’t enforced.

[15:30] Many companies will often look to buy the cheapest offsets available, which are likely to be non-credible and will provide no evidence of actual offsetting occurring. But, there are a lot of new companies emerging that provide tangible evidence of offsetting (such as Treeconomy 😊)

[18:30] How can someone go about buying and monitoring offsetting credits? If you don’t want to use a company like Treeconomy, you would need to directly contact and purchase credits from a company who is developing a project.

[19:23] Treeconomy have created a platform called Sherwood – this displays all the projects they are helping to develop, which also tells you who the landowners are and the carbon inventory attached to each project. It can also help you evidence credits purchased, whether they are historic or future carbon removal.

[21:30] Not many companies offer comprehensive reporting and evidencing of carbon credits in practice. Treeconomy use a range of methods such as drones, satellites and AI programs to report back, and aim to make getting this information as easy as possible for credit purchasers.

[23:20] How did Harry get into this business? Starting off studying geography and Science – he later went onto work in finance for 3 years and qualified as a finance adviser. While working he realised that the amount of money available is rarely the issue, rather the use of it. He saw that there was a large gap in funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation – but not enough money was going towards it. He began wondering why more couldn’t be invested and so decided to study climate change management and finance (partly though Covid), where he met his co-founder. After getting some Government grant funding, investors and landowner partners, they have flourished over the last 3 years.

[27:00] Are Treeconomy’s offsetting schemes verified? Yes – they work under the UK woodland carbon code (and soon the peatland carbon code). They are also working to create a new protocol to tackle rewilding, including how the value and progress can be tracked. Internationally they will be working under Verra.

[29:05] Treeconomy can help to provide detailed evidence of carbon offsetting thanks to their reporting capabilities, this can be passed onto 3^rd party auditors to verify in-line with any carbon Standard.

[30:00] You can find Treeconomy via their website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram 😊

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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Anyone with a current ISO 27001:2013 certificate will be required to update and add certain elements in their existing Information Security Management System to ensure compliance to ISO 27001:2022 ahead of the October 2025 deadline.

Over the past few weeks, our mini-series has covered the fundamental changes to the Standard, along with tips on how to plan and Implement the required updates.

Join Mel this week as she explains the final few stages of an ISO 27001 transition, including the Internal Auditing and final preparation ahead of a Certification Body visit.

You’ll learn

What needs to be audited?
What do I need to do to prepare for the Certification Body visit?
How can you get a free copy of ISO 27001:2022?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:44] Catch up on the last two episodes before listening to this one: What you need to know to transition to ISO 27001:2022 / What changes need to be Implemented to transition to ISO 27001:2022

[01:00] The last stages are all about gathering evidence of compliance against new and updated clauses and controls

[01:28] Make sure you plan your transition visit well in advance – If you leave it too late you may incur additional fees for more days or possibly even for a full certification if you miss the deadline.

[02:15] This process for transition is fairly consistent among Certification Bodies. It typically includes a Readiness Review and a transition visit where they will review evidence of compliance against the new controls.

[02:45] You can get a free copy if you sign up to our Transition Programme by April 1^st 2023)

[02:55] The last stage ahead of the transition visit is Internal Auditing. For those still planning their 2023 Internal Audits, you may wish to Implement the changes earlier in the year with a view to audit the changes in the later half of 2023. Ensure that you allow time to build evidence of compliance ahead of a transition visit.

[03:45] If you need a bit of extra help, we include Internal Auditing within our transition programme – this will typically take 1 day.

[04:30] We can also support you during your transition visit – this could be on-line or on-site, which would depend on your Certification Bodies preference.

[05:20] Currently many Certification Bodies are suggesting a half day for the Readiness Review and another day for the transition. Some may choose to include this transition as a part of their annual Surveillance visit to help save on costs. If you have a Surveillance coming up, it’s worth getting in contact with them to see what they would recommend regarding your transition.

[05:43] We advise that you also ask your Certification Body, when they will be UKAS accredited for ISO 27001:2022 – they may not be ready complete a transition visit until the later half of 2023.

[06:35] For our global listeners, your Certification Body will have an Accreditation Body that needs to verify their ability to conduct transition visits. For the UK this is UKAS, but it may differ for other countries.

[07:15] Don’t leave this until last minute! Based on previous experience with transitions, we’ve found companies that leave it until a few months before the deadline often can’t transition in time, and end up having to pay up for a full Stage 1 and 2 Assessment in order to keep their certification.

Grab a copy of our ISO 27001:2022 Guideline to the changes here:

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The updated ISO 27001:2022 has had several changes, including the addition of 11 completely new controls and the merging of 56 other controls into 24 newly titled controls.

These changes mean that anyone with a current ISO 27001:2013 certificate will be required to update and add certain elements in their existing Information Security Management System to ensure compliance to ISO 27001:2022 ahead of the October 2025 deadline.

Join Mel this week as she explains the changes that need to be made, including what key documentation requires updating to align with ISO 27001:2022.

You’ll learn

What changes need to be made to your existing Information Security Management System?
What key documents need to be updated?
How can you get a free copy of ISO 27001:2022?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:44] In the last episode we covered the planning stages for your transition – catch up here

[01:02] We have a free ‘Guide to the ISO 27001 Changes’ available – simply fill out the form at the end of the Show Notes to download your copy

[01:29] You should have a copy of ISO 27001:2022 ahead of Implementing the changes (you can get a free copy if you sign up to our Transition Programme by April 1^st 2023)

[01:35] Before you move onto Implementation, ensure that you have: planned back from your transition date, have an understanding of the new controls and had a Discovery session / Gap Analysis to see where the gaps in your current system are

[02:11] This is also a good opportunity to revamp your Management System! We have a few older episodes to help you with this: #102, #103, #104

[02:50] What needs updating? This will include:

Your Statement of Applicability
Risk Assessment
Objectives
Action Plans
Monitoring and measurement (reviewing what you are monitoring / measuring and how it’s recorded)
Internal Audit Schedule / Programme – To include the new controls

[03:45] At this stage you need to look at what controls you have in place – there may be some you can now merge together to reduce any paperwork involved.

[04:25] We have some tools available to tackle the new controls (i.e Threat Intelligence, data masking, physical security monitoring ect) if you need some extra help

[04:50] It’s not just about updating documentation, you will need to fully implement and communication these new controls to the wider business. You may find that you already have some controls covered, but not yet formalised.

[05:30] The main aspect of the Implementation phase is to address the gaps found during the Gap Analysis. For example, new controls such as data masking, threat intelligence and web filtering, which you may not have considered seriously before, now need to put formal documented measures in place to address it.

[06:26] Communication and evidence should be at the forefront of your mind when updating your Info Sec Management System.

[06:39] Don’t just implement controls for the sake of it – considering how they are going to reduce risk and how they’re going to make a difference to improve your Risk Register and Statement of Applicability.

[07:00] The Implementation phase of our Transition Programme is 1-3 days depending on your level of required support

[07:54] You should also consider creating a Communication Plan to share knowledge of these changes to the wider business. Make sure you also compile any evidence of training on new elements of your Management System too. We will have Coffee Break Training available on the isologyhub which could help with this.

Grab a copy of our ISO 27001:2022 Guideline to the changes here:

Keep an eye out for next weeks episode where we explain how to complete your ISO 27001:2022 transition.

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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ISO 27001 2022 is here, which means it’s time to start thinking about starting the transition process. While the deadline is set at December 2025, it’s never too early to start!

If this is all news to you, check out our previous three episodes, where we reviewed all the major changes to ISO 27001, including clause updates and the 11 completely new controls added.

Join Mel this week as she explains what you need to know before embarking on your ISO 27001 transition journey, in addition to a summary of our transition programme.

You’ll learn

How to plan for your ISO 27001 transition
How can Blackmores help you?
How can you get a free copy of ISO 27001:2022?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:44] Businesses have until October 2025 to transition to the updated version of ISO 27001:2022 – but don’t wait until the last minute! Certification Bodies get really booked up in the last year, and you could risk losing your certification and paying for another Stage 1 and 2 Assessment.

[01:30] We recommend that you start thinking about your transition in 2023 so you have everything in place to start the process in 2024.

[02:28] As a recap – the major changes to ISO 27001:2022 are: 56 controls have been merged into 24 newly titled controls, the addition of 11 completely new controls and controls are now categorised into just 4 groups instead of the 14 from the previous version.

[03:00] ISO 27001:2022 Guide to the changes available – Simply fill out the form available at the end of the show notes to grab a copy!

[04:25] Over the next few episodes, Mel will talk through the process of planning, implementing and preparation for the Certification Body transition visit.

[05:51] All steps of the transition process are laid out in our Transition Programme, which includes: an awareness video, a transition action plan, Implementation of changes, Internal auditing of the changes and some optional support during the Certification Body visit.

[08:45] The Planning Phase: We recommend trying to combine your transition visit with your next Surveillance visit – you can have a chat with your CB to see if that’s possible. This may not be possible if your Surveillance is coming up very soon, as you need time to implement the changes needed. Those that have it in say 6 or more months’ time would be in a good position to make the request.

[09:30] Certification Bodies are recommending an extra half day for transition – some may require a desktop review ahead of the actual visit. Combining this visit with your Surveillance is a good way to reduce costs.

[10:30] When planning out your timescales for transition, don’t forget to inform Leadership and key personnel involved in the running of the Management System about the expected changes to come – and plan in time for them to help with the implementation.

[11:10] Understanding the changes: We gave a high-level overview of the 11 new controls in our last episode. We will also have 11 Coffee Break Training courses covering the controls in more detail, available from March 31^st 2023 on the isologyhub.

[12:11] Offer: We’re including a free copy of ISO 27001:2022 for those that sign up to our Transition Programme before April 1^st 2023.

[12:34] You may get asked for a copy of the Standard at your transition visit – as having a copy can come under ‘other’ legal requirements.

[13:10] Discovery Phase: We have a transition checklist which can help you identify where the gaps are in terms of compliance with the new controls. You may already have some of it in place!

Grab a copy of our ISO 27001:2022 Guide to the changes here:

Keep an eye out for next weeks episode where we dive into how to Implement the changes…

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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ISO 27001, The Information Security Standard, was updated in October 2022. While there is a 2-year grace period for transition, we would urge everyone to make a start on implementing the changes to ensure you are compliant with latest best practice standards.

Over the last two episodes, we’ve gone over the key changes and explored the specific clause updates in more detail. As mentioned in the first episode of this mini-series, there have been 11 new controls added to ISO 27001:2022.

Mel is once again joined by Steve Mason, Managing Consultant here at Blackmores, to discuss the 11 new controls added to ISO 27001:2022 and their purpose.

You’ll learn

What are the 11 new controls in ISO 27001:2022?
Why have these been added?
What is their purpose?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:00] A quick overview of the key changes – 56 Controls combined into 24 newly titled controls, 11 new controls added and 58 existing controls remained unchanged.

[02:30] We have been over a few of the new controls in ISO 27002:2022 in more detail in a few previous episodes: #111, #112, #113, #114

[02:50] These new controls are nothing to worry about – they are simply aligning the Standard with more modern security considerations. You may already be complying with them!

[03:32] Control A.5.7 Threat intelligence – ‘To provide awareness of the organization’s threat environment so that the appropriate mitigation actions can be taken.’ – This can come from many different sources, such as the NCSC or local police websites. There are also additional tools you can add to detect possible phishing attacks. This also includes consideration to external threats – Information Security is about much more than just protecting data! It also includes physical security.

[05:33] Control A.5.23 Information security for use of cloud services – “To specify and manage information security for the use of cloud services.” – More and more businesses reply on cloud-based computing. It’s important to verify the security of your service provider to ensure it’s adequate. You can check to see if they have any valid Information Security related credentials such as CSA Star, Cyber Essentials, SOC. You could also adopt principles of ISO 27017 (certification for cloud security), ISO 27018 (Protection of PII in the public cloud) and ISO 27701 (PII security Standard).

[08:30] Control A.5.30 ICT readiness for business continuity –‘ To ensure the availability of the organization’s information and other associated assets during disruption’ – There a few standards that could assist with this, including ISO 27031 (ICT readiness for Business Continuity). Those that have ISO 22301 may want to look at how ISO 27001 elements can be integrated and improved in any disaster recovery plans. ISO 27001 needs to be an integral part of any business continuity plans – not just a bolt on. Small business may not want to conduct a full business impact analysis, but should carry out a risk assessment around business continuity at the very least.

[11:30] Control A.5.30 ICT readiness for business continuity – further considerations: A key focus of this part of the Standard is Recovery Time Objectives and Recovery Point Objectives. Overall, the whole business continuity aspect of the updated ISO 27001:2022 may take a bit of work to implement, but you will ultimately be much better off in the event of a disaster or security incident. For further guidance, you may want to check out an older non-certifiable standard, BS 25777 (ICT continuity).

[13:20] Control A.7.4 Physical security monitoring –‘ To detect and deter unauthorized physical access.’ – This can include things like CCTV, access control, swipe cards ect. This also includes the ability and regular practice of monitoring these access methods, for the purpose of detecting any anomalies.

[18:56] Control A.8.9 Configuration management – ‘To ensure hardware, software, services and networks function correctly with required security settings, and configuration is not altered by unauthorized or incorrect changes’ – Configuration for things like a firewall, software, any hardware devices, passwords ect should be documented, explained and monitored on a regular basis to ensure nothing has been changed without notifying the relevant people. ISO 20000 includes a helpful section around configuration if you require further guidance.

[21:41] Control A.8.10 Information deletion – ‘To prevent unnecessary exposure of sensitive information and to comply with legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements for information deletion.’ – This already existed in the Standard, it has simply been clarified further. You will now need to prove that data has been deleted as required, if you use a 3^rd party for this, they will need to provide the relevant certificates.

[22:05] Control A.8.11 Data Masking – ‘To limit the exposure of sensitive data including PII, and to comply with legal, statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements.’ – You have 3 options for data masking: Obfuscation, pseudonymisation and annoymisation. This also helps to comply with GDPR requirements.

[24:10] Control A.8.12 Data leakage prevention – ‘To detect and prevent the unauthorized disclosure and extraction of information by individuals or systems.’ – This control has made a return from the 2005 version of ISO 27001. Businesses should have systems in place to monitor any particularly large data downloads – or even possibly large print batches. You should also ensure that you have a secure email system in place as well as VPN’s and regular security training to sure up your security to prevent any potential leaks.

[27:00] Control A.8.16 Monitoring Activities – ‘To detect anomalous behaviour and potential information security incidents.’ – Appropriate monitoring should be in place to detect any potentially dangerous or malicious behavior.

[28:00] Control A.8.23 Web Filtering – ‘To protect systems from being compromised by malware and to prevent access to unauthorized web resources.’ – Your systems should be set up in a way to prevent people from accessing unsecure or unsavory sites. This could include Social Media sites – but be mindful that there may have to be exceptions for marketing or communications personnel for those particular sites.

[28:00] Control A.8.28 Secure Coding – ‘To ensure software is written securely thereby reducing the number of potential information security vulnerabilities in the software.’ – If you have created your own secure coding, be sure to evaluate it against industry professional standards such as OWASP and NIST.

As a reminder, we’ll be running a mini-series through January and February on the updated ISO 27001:2022 in addition to how you can transition to the new version.

Keep an eye out for next weeks episode where we dive into the clause clarifications and control changes of ISO 27001:2022…

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As many of you are aware, an updated version of ISO 27001 was published in October 2022. While there is a 2-year grace period for transition, we would urge everyone to make a start on implementing the changes to ensure you are compliant with latest best practice standards. But where do you start?

In the last episode, Mel and Steve gave an overview of the updated ISO 27001:2022, including a high-level look at some of the key changes.

In addition to the control changes, there have been several changes made to specific clauses within the Standard.

Mel is once again joined by Steve Mason, Managing Consultant here at Blackmores, to discuss the ISO 27001:2022 clause updates and their purpose.

You’ll learn

What clauses have been updated from the 2013 version of ISO 27001?
Why have these clauses been updated?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:06] The changes to these clauses appear to align your Management System with the business more so than in the previous iteration of ISO 27001 – a key focus is integration.

[01:20] First change: Clause 4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of Interested parties – ‘c) which of these requirements will be addressed through the information security management system.’ – This seeks to align the Management System with interested parties and identify where it may or may not be able to meet their needs and expectations.

[03:30] Clause 4.4 Information Security Management System – ‘The organization shall establish, implement, maintain and continually improve an information security management system, including the processes needed and their interactions, in accordance with the requirements of this document.’ – There will be more focus on process flows and not Policies and Procedures. This can be further used to align the Management System with your business, by clearly identifying where it fits in with your business activities.

[06:14] Clause 5.1. Leadership – ‘Reference to “business” in this document can be interpreted broadly to mean those activities that are core to the purposes of the organization’s existence.’ – This acts more as a reminder to top management to ensure they include the Management System as part of the business and not just a bolt-on. It should be a part of the strategy and part of the business (part of the ship, part of the crew)

[07:42] Clause 6.1.3 Information Security Risk Treatment –‘ Note 2 in sub-clause ‘c’ now states ‘Annex A contains a list of possible information security controls.’ (it had previously read Annex A contains a comprehensive list of control objectives and controls.) – This simply means that you can add references to other controls outside of the list provided within Annex A i.e. NIST or Cyber Essentials. Though, do be careful to avoid doing this at minutia level, as that just increases Management System maintenance.

[09:15] Clause 6.2 Information security objectives and planning to achieve them –‘ A couple of extra points have been added to this clause: d) be monitored g) be available as documented information’ – The monitoring was previously a given, but not really specified. So now, you’ll have to demonstrate how you’re monitoring objective planning and achievements.

[10:24] Clause 6.3 Planning of Changes – ‘When the organization determines the need for changes to the information security management system, the changes shall be carried out in a planned manner.’ – This has now been aligned more with ISO 9001’s approach to changes. All changes should be planned before implementation, and this now includes information security consideration. Fun fact – they forgot to include this clause in the Standard table of contents! (as of January 2023, this will probably be added later!)

[11:55] Clause 9.3.2 Management Review Inputs –‘ c) changes in needs and expectations of interested parties that are relevant to the information security management system’ – This just ensures that the needs and expectations of your Interested Parties are reviewed and not just left stagnant.

[13:20] To help you revamp your Management Review, check out episodes #99 and #100

As a reminder, we’ll be running a mini-series through January and February on the updated ISO 27001:2022 in addition to how you can transition to the new version.

Keep an eye out for next weeks episode where we dive into the clause clarifications and control changes of ISO 27001:2022…

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

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The long-awaited update of ISO 27001 arrived in October 2022, having gone 9 years since its previous 2013 iteration. Needless to say, it was much overdue.

The new 2022 version of the Standard includes 11 new controls and sees around 56 other controls combined into 24 newly titled controls.

In order to cover every aspect of the new Standard, we’ll be running a mini-series through January and February on the updated ISO 27001:2022 in addition to how you can transition to the new version.

Starting off the series strong, Mel is joined once again by Steve Mason, our very own Information Security guru, to broadly discuss the changes to ISO 27001:2022.

You’ll learn

Who is ISO 27001:2022 applicable to?
An overview of the changes to ISO 27001:2022
What is Steve’s favorite change to ISO 27001:2022?
What are the challenges involved with updating to the 2022 version?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:50] Steve Gives an overview of what’s new in ISO 27001:2022 – The updated version of ISO 27001 was released on the 26^th Oct 2022. The new version included 24 changes and clarifications within the main clauses.

[02:50] The controls for the new standard are now categorised into 4 groups: Organisation, People, Physical and Technology

[05:50] We covered some of the new controls in more detail in previous episodes: #109, #110, #111, #112, #113 and #114

[06:17] The 24 changes and clarifications to Clauses include older existing clauses which have been tidied up to be more transparent. We recommend reviewing to ensure that you are complying in a way that aligns with the Standard.

[06:35] There are 11 new Controls. 56 controls from the 2013 version have been reduced to 24 with 58 remaining unchanged. So, in short, Annex A has been simplified with less duplication of controls.

[07:44] Steve highlights section A.9 for Access Control as one of the much-improved controls – due to the lack of repetition and simplified requirements for compliance.

[08:35] Steve’s favourite update to the Standard: The whole Standard now collectively encourages incorporation into your business. Your ISMS should not feel like a bolt on, it should be a part of your businesses DNA.

[10:36] Steve’s favourite update to the Standard #2: It’s not a static Standard, it encourages development and continual improvement.

[13:45] For those completely new to ISO 27001 – check out our 3-part Steps to Success series which explains the Implementation process from start to finish.

[14:38] Listen to some of our client interviews to hear the challenges others faced when Implementing ISO 27001 in addition to the benefits gained as a result of adopting the Standard:

[14:50] Why would the business continuity elements of ISO 27001:2022 pose a challenge? There used to be a clause in the 2005 version of the standard which documented the need for a business impact analysis – this was removed in the 2013 version. The new ‘ICT readiness for business continuity’ control will require at the very least, a risk assessment.

[16:48] Steve recommends checking out the Plan, Do, Act, Check diagram in ISO 27031 (Guidelines for information and communication technology readiness for business continuity). It also includes some great guidance on business impact analysis.

[18:40] The ICT readiness control is not designed to be an all encompassing business continuity strategy – it’s designed to work in tandem with as existing one (you may already be certified to ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management).

[19:50] It’s highly recommended that if you don’t have a Business Continuity Plan or strategy – at least have a framework in place. Disasters by their nature are unpredictable, as is the resulting damage to an extent. You will not know the full extent until you’ve lived it – so don’t write an exhaustive 80+ page manual that no-one will read, document the what, who and how of getting yourself back up and running again.

[21:11] There has also been an update to ISO 27005 (Risk assessment in relation to info sec). It includes a new set of threat categories: physical threats, natural threats, infrastructure failures, technical failures, human actions, compromised services or functions and organisational threats. These may help you when putting a business continuity framework in place.

[22:05] Above all else – ISO 27001:2022 has modernised and aligned itself more with the likes of cyber essentials and NIST.

Keep an eye out for next weeks episode where we dive into the clause updates…

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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Happy New Year! We at Blackmores hope you all managed to have a break over the holiday season and are gearing up for many challenges and successes in 2023.

As a reminder, we signed off last year by highlighting the top 5 podcasts as dictated by you, the listeners.

Before we dive into a brand-new year full of top tips, expert advice with industry leaders and client interviews, we’d like to take a step back and let the host share her reflections on 2022.

Join Mel as she shares her personal top 5 ISO Show episodes from last year.

You’ll learn

What are Mel’s top 5 episodes of 2022?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] A reminder to listen to our last podcast, covering the top 5 podcasts as dictated by the listeners.

[01:21] #1 Episode 102 – What’s in a name? This episode features our Senior Isologist, Sarah Ball, as she explains the importance of giving a meaningful name to your Management System.

[03:40] What’s in a Name snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

[08:01] #2 Episode 94 – The 7 Steps of Carbonology_ Reduce – Part 4 of the 7 Steps of Carbonology series, featuring our Carbonologist, David Algar. This episode delves into the creation and communication of a carbon reduction plan, and the benefits of reducing your footprint rather then relying on offsetting alone.

[10:14] The 7 Steps of Carbonology – Reduce snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

[16:48] #3: Episode 117 PMC’s journey and ongoing success with ISO 27001– This is an interview with Philip Bailey, the Managed Services Director at PMC Retail, talking about their ISO 27001 journey. Philip shares his lessons learned and gives some top tips for anyone considering implementing the Information Security Standard

[17:58] PMC’s journey and ongoing success with ISO 27001 snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

[24:00] #4: Episode 100 How to get the most out of your Management Review – Featuring Rachel Churchman, Managing Consultant here at Blackmores, this episode explores how added value can be gained from doing a Management Review. Mel and Rachel discuss various ways you can conduct a Management Review and what should be your key inputs and outputs.

[26:14] How to get the most out of your Management Review snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

[30:41] #5: Episode 108 How to align your Management System with the Sustainable Development Goals– Following on from the Sustainable Development Goals summary episodes, Mel shares how you can align your Management System right now without the need for any ISO certification.

[32:37] How to align your Management System with the Sustainable Development Goals snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

We look forward to bringing you even more amazing content in 2023, so stay tuned! 😊

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s

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It’s been a busy year here at Blackmores! Somehow, we managed to fit in the time to publish 37 new ISO Show episodes.

It’s been a mix of knowledge sharing, top tips, advise and stories from our very own consultants and clients – and we’re looking forward to sharing even more with you next year!

We thought it’d be good to end this year on a look back at 2022 and highlight 5 of the most listened to episodes of the ISO Show across its many platforms.

Join Mel as she shares some snippets from our top 5 most popular episodes this year.

You’ll learn

What are the most listened to episodes of the ISO Show for 2022?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] The top 5 episodes of 2022 have been selected based on which episodes have been listened to the most.

[01:00] #1: 98 What is a Management Review? This is an episode that appeals to a more general audience as Management Review is a requirement of many ISO’s. This was the 1^st of a 3-part series and explains the basics of what a Management Review is and what it typically includes.

[02:47] What is a Management Review snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

[05:40] #2: 100 How to get the most out of your Management Review – Part of the Management Review series – this episode includes Rachel Churchman, a Managing Consultant here at Blackmores. The episode explored various ways in which you can make your Management Review both more engaging and successful in achieving tangible outcomes.

[06:55] How to get the most out of your Management Review snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

[13:20] #3: 106 What are the Sustainable Development Goals – This is a 2-part series which explores the 17 SDG’S and how ISO Standards can meet certain goals. In both episodes, Mel gives specific examples of the many ISO’s that align with the SDG’s.

[15:08] What are the Sustainable Development Goals snippet – Full episodes available in the ISO Show Archive – Part 1 / Part 2

[22:08] #4 and #5: 109 What’s new with ISO 27002:2022? / 110 What are the 11 new controls in ISO 27002? – Both of these episodes shortly followed the release of ISO 27002 – A guidance document for ISO 27001. While not certifiable, it did give us an insight to the changes in ISO 27001 that were published later in the year. Episode 109 summarises how ISO 27002 works in relation to ISO 27001, along with a very brief summary of the changes. Episode 110 goes into more detail on each of the 11 new controls – and features our very own Managing Consultant, Steve Mason.

[24:38] What are the 11 new controls in ISO 27002 snippet – Full episode available in the ISO Show Archive

That’s it from us for 2022! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New year – See you on the other side in 2023 😊

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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Currently, there are around 1,077,884 valid ISO 9001 certificates globally – which beats the second runner, ISO 14001, by over 600,000!

There is no doubt that the Quality Management Standard, ISO 9001, is still the most widely adopted ISO Standard – and for good reason!

ISO 9001 is basically a model for running a successful and profitable business. It provides a common framework for things that all businesses should have in place, including defining your companies unique ‘way of working’.

In addition to being a blueprint for a business’s operation, there are many other benefits to be gained from implementing ISO 9001. Today, Mel explains a few of these benefits in greater detail.

You’ll learn

What is ISO 9001?
Why Implement ISO 9001?
The benefits of ISO 9001

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Why talk about ISO 9001 benefits? Often times, Mel gets asked for benefits of ISO 9001 so a business case can be put forward.

[01:00] What is ISO 9001? For a detailed break down of the Standard, go back and watch ‘Episode 36 – What is ISO 9001?’

[01:45] For those that have Implemented ISO 9001, what are the benefits? We’d love to hear from you! If you have some stories to share – feel free to leave a comment on which ever media player you’re listening on – or email us. We’d love to share some of your experiences in a future episode.

[02:09] Benefit #1: Win new business – From a sales and marketing perspective, ISO 9001 is essentially a passport to trade. It demonstrates credibility to Stakeholders as it’s a mark of quality.

[02:55] Benefit #2: A framework that can fit any business – This can be for any industry sector and business size. It helps businesses figure out what is working well and what’s not working so well.

[03:10] Benefit #3: Identify opportunities for Improvement – It helps businesses figure out what is working well and what’s not working so well. It can help identify issues such as: Bottlenecks in processes, resourcing and external factors.

[04:05] ISO 9001 helps you to look at your business – warts and all. It does no one any good to bury their head in the sand and ignore issues, especially as Stakeholders and clients will see through this.

[04:40] Benefit #4: Put quality controls in place to mitigate risk and raise your standards – If you have complaints or need to do a product recall – you need processes in place to handle this. ISO 9001 gives you the tools to do so, creating an effective framework everyone can follow.

[05:40] Benefit #5: Improve efficiency – ISO 9001 helps you identify the best way of working and pushes you to optimise that. That could include eliminating aspects of you business that waste time, or create burdens.

[06:05] Benefit #6: Creating a unique Blueprint – ISO 9001 isn’t an out of the box solution – it can be tailored to your way of working. It helps to establish relevant Policies and Procedures that improve your business operations.

[06:24] Benefit #7: Enhancing customer satisfaction and employee retention – Good quality business practices will inevitably help you to keep ahold of good clients – and good employees too! This can be achieved by having clear roles and responsibilities in addition to vision and goals for the business.

[07:20] Benefit #8: Increase profitability – Businesses often look at the cost of poor quality – where is your business leaking money? Addressing those issues is a direct cost saving.

[08:21] Businesses who have grown through acquisition often find ISO 9001 a great tool to help standardise their way of working, so they can easily integrate other businesses and services.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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