In my experience, I would estimate that 8 times out of 10 organisations seek to achieve ISO certification to win new business, not necessarily to improve their business – sadly. So, what is it about ISO Standards that is so attractive to prospective clients? Why are they like gold dust in certain industries? And in some cases, a pre-requisite to tender?
One of the reasons is that certification to ISO Standards demonstrates credibility and confidence to stakeholders. What this means is that a business is not just blowing their own trumpet, by saying how marvellous they are, an accredited certification body is independently verifying this against an internationally renowned standard of excellence. Regardless of which ISO standard is implemented, it is recognised that if a company meets these high standards, they are practising what they preach and have a certificate to prove it.
Once a company is certified, they need to capitalise on the investment they have made (in terms of effort, time, resources and finance) to make the most of the opportunity, particularly when it comes to winning new business. An ISO Standard can be viewed as a great tool for sales and marketing teams to have in their toolkit.
If you’ve got it, flaunt it!
Some say, ‘it’s only a number, ISO 9001, ISO 14001’……… Well, those numbers add up, and add up to profit if used in the right way. You should be referencing your ISO Standards (only UKAS Accredited Certifications of course) on your website, thus demonstrating leadership and commitment. This includes the logo and a message from the CEO/Managing Director. The ISO Standards logo and information related to your achievement could be referenced in proposals and tenders to give you a better chance of winning the contract. Many Sales and Marketing Departments find it a blessing to have a well-structured and documented ISO Management System that they can easily extract key tender documents from i.e. Environment Policy, Complaints Procedure, company procedures, Business Continuity Plan, Customer Service KPI’s, plus many more, and therefore, making it easier for a Sales and Marketing Team to showcase why your business is as good as it is.
Some companies use the ISO logo’s on marketing collateral such as brochures, online E-brochures, business cards, newsletters, letterheads and catalogues to give them a competitive edge. However, it can also be promoted via other visual methods i.e. sign-written vehicles, products, PowerPoint presentations and in-house company signage.
In some industries such as the Construction sector, it is much easier to win and retain valuable clients if you have certain ISO Standards – ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, or in the Technology sector, the expectation is to have ISO 27001 to ensure data assets are secure.
Where we have seen the greatest advantage for businesses, is where the early adopters embrace a new ISO standard to give them a competitive edge. For example, in 2018 we implemented BS 10012, the new Personal Information standard aligned with GDPR requirements. More information will follow regarding early adopters and new standards in a forthcoming Blackmores blog.
For a ‘Winning new business with ISO Standards checklist’ please contact enquiries@blackmoresuk.com
To help out the ISO Show:
- Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
- Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
Beyond certification, we take great pride in delivering ISO consultancy and support solutions. These solutions help our clients improve their productivity and profitability in a risk-controlled way.
We are your dedicated ISO consultants for all compliance matters from internal audits to updating Health, Safety and Environmental Legal compliance.
No matter what ISO certification you are hoping to achieve, we have a specialist ISO consultant ready to work with you and your organisation. Contact our team today to get started.
Our 7 Steps to Success
The Blackmores ISO Roadmap is a proven path to go from idea to launching your ISO Management System.
Whether you choose to work with one of our ISO Consultants, our isologists, or work your own way through the process on our isology Hub, we’re certain you’ll achieve certification in no time!
We have a proven step by step process that our ISO Consultants implement as soon as our working relationship begins. We use our specialist skills and industry knowledge to determine what is already on track and where improvements can be made. We live and breathe ISO standards, we know the standards inside out so you don’t have to.
Our ISO Consultants can help you implement systems for any ISO Standard. See the full list for specialised standards here.
What our clients have to say
We engaged Blackmores to develop our ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 management system from scratch. Throughout the creation and development stages of our ISO journey, Anju Punetha demonstrated remarkable patience, knowledge, and understanding as our dedicated consultant.
During our internal audit preparations, Ian Battersby’s meticulous attention to detail and thorough approach ensured we were well-prepared for our external audit, which we passed with flying colours. His guidance during the external audit was invaluable.
Based on our engagement and experience, I highly recommend the entire Blackmores team. If you’re considering pursuing ISO accreditations, Blackmores should be your first choice.
Graeme Adam
The support and advise I get from our assigned auditors is immense. Forward planning for the following year is great and they are flexible and always willing to help.
Kalil Vandi
“Blackmores have assisted us almost since the start of our adoption of the ISO 9001 quality standard. Their input has improved our processes since the start, and enabled our goal of continuous improvement to be achieved. The people are also extremely easy to get on with, and they really understand our business, giving us a great deal of confidence in their advice.”
David Gibson
“Blackmores are the perfect bridge between working on your ISO as an individual or company, to being audited each year. We find that any queries we have are covered and we feel sure that we have everything as needs be before going into an external audit.”
Mandy Welsby
“We have been extremely impressed with the service and support provided by Blackmores. There knowledge and assistance through out our ISO journey has been amazing!”
Philip Hannabuss
“Blackmores have really kept us on our toes with the broad scope and level of detail they apply to our internal audit schedule. They always stay abreast of ISO standard changes and help us to adapt our processes and documents to embrace these changes accordingly. Having Blackmores shadow our external audits provides invaluable confidence and peace of mind – would highly recommend their services!”
Phil Geens
“Our ISO 27001 certification project has gone so well, that there was no doubt in who we were going to ask to help us with our aspirations of becoming ISO 14001 certified. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Blackmores, and we are really looking forward to working with them for the foreseeable future.”
Trusted by leading organisations across all sectors, we support companies of all sizes in any location.
Listen to our Podcast
Welcome to the ISO Show podcast, dispelling myths and sharing tips for success to improve your business with ISO Standards. Join us to hear interviews with successful business leaders as they share their ISO journey with you.
Get top tips via audio master classes “ISO Steps to Success” on the most popular ISO Standards.
