Blackmores ISO Consultancy Service: The creators of isology®

We have over 17 years experience of implementing various ISO’s – and we’d like to share some insight into our proven methodology.  

Our regular listeners may be familiar with the term ‘isology’ from previous episodes where we’ve highlighted our online platform – the isologyhub. But what is isology exactly?

Put simply, isology is our 7-step method for implementing any ISO Standard. Join Mel this week as she breaks down each of the 7 steps, including the planning, creation and review of an ISO Management System.

You’ll learn

• Our experience implementing ISO’s
• The origin of isology
• What is isology?
• The seven steps of isology

Resources

• isologyhub
• How to choose a Certification Body

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:31] An overview of isology – a methodology for implementing any ISO. Find out more over on the isologyhub

[01:08] How the isology methodology was created – 17 years in the making with the help of our consultants.  

[01:33] A brief overview of the 7 Steps of isology  

[03:05] 1^st Step – Plan: Get a copy of the Standard, determine your scope, timescales, leadership commitment, resources and selecting a Certification Body. Some choose to implement the system but leave out the badge. There are ISO’s that aren’t certifiable but good to have i.e. ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement.

[05:38] 2^nd Step – Discover:  Time to understand what you have in place already and what you’re missing – this is done through a Gap Analysis.

[06:35] 3^rd Step – Expose:  This is where we look at risks and opportunities related to your desired Standard (both internally and externally). This is typically done through a SWOT and PESTLE. A Risk Register may be created to capture the findings to be addressed later. Companies are also encouraged to create a Legal Register to keep track of all their statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements.  

[08:41] 4^th Step – Create:  Time to review the requirements of the Standard in terms of documentation – and create what’s needed. This includes capturing your way of working with documented Procedures – make sure you have the relevant staff involved in their creation.

[10:05] 5^th Step – Launch:  Once the Management System has found it’s home (usually an intranet or SharePoint) – you need to communicate it. Consider the type of launch you want and who will be involved. Make sure you encourage engagement with the Management System.

[11:18] 6^th Step – Engage:  There’s little point in having a Management System if people don’t know about it or have little interest in it. You should train your staff on the Management system, so that they are aware of your policies and procedures and where to find key documents. You must verify compliance through Internal Audits – this is a requirement of any ISO Standard.  

[13:09] 7^th Step – Review:  Time to take a step back and look at what’s been achieved and what’s been highlighted as areas for improvement through your Internal Audits. There’s a set list of criteria in each ISO Standard to help you plan an agenda for the Review.  

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