Author: Bluewolf_admin

ISO 14001 standard is the globally recognized standard for the environmental management system. The primary goal of the standard is to set the policies and procedures for a robust eco-friendly system that will control different elements for reducing the yearly carbon footprint. Today’s business organizations need this management protocol to understand the requirements for improving their operations to maintain the environmental sustainability.

The increasing need for waste management and proper mobilization of resources, forces companies to take prompt initiatives so that their operational impact does not disrupt nature and the community. ISO 14001 is often considered a competitive mechanism that works for a company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) program.

There is no need to implement a completely new system if you already have one. However, ISO 14001 is an excellent tool for monitoring and evaluating the functions and productive efficiency of your existing program. You need professional assistance to carry out the necessary analyses, reviews, and audits to ensure your system is performing as per the expectation.

The following post has discussed the key elements of the standard and the prime benefits a company can enjoy.

What is the aim of the ISO 14001 Standard?

The fundamental purpose is to help companies proactively improve their operational efficiency for minimizing waste production, controlling energy usage, and finding proper resources.            It helps to set SMART objectives and suggest strategic moves for eco-friendly methods. Today, every company needs to show concern for community welfare and environmental sustainability. The standard allows the stakeholders to clear their rudimentary concepts, which further encourages them to contribute to the final goal.

What are the five elements of the ISO 14001 Standard?

•The environmental policies

•Planning

•Implementation and operations

•Review and evaluation

•Corrective actions for continual improvement

The three pillars of a successful implementation are –

•The enhancement of environmental performances

•Timely fulfillment of the compliance

•The ultimate achievement of the objectives

What are some of the major advantages of getting the ISO 14001 Standard?

1.Legal compliance

In India, companies have to pay lakhs and spend approximately 5 years in jail for violating environmental laws. Legal compliance has become stricter and more mandatory. ISO 14001 is the fastest and easiest option to meet regulatory demands and avoid parliamentary intervention. As per one of the main clauses of ISO 14001, a company should determine the organizational context and scope of the program first before modifying or implementing a system. Further, they should design proper planning and find resources to meet the goals. While setting the policies and objectives, a company has to consider the legislative terms and conditions. This way, both the governmental criteria and organizational goals for reducing pollution are achieved.

2.Brand Reputation

Impressing customers and earning their loyalty is necessary to build a sustainable empire. Today, most customers are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. More than 50% of Indian customers are eager to buy products/services from a company that has an eco-friendly approach. By achieving the ISO 14001 certification, a company can successfully improve its brand reputation. Customers start to rely more on the company as they come to know about the effective practices. With a loyal customer base, a company achieves a high-profit margin.

3.Competitive advantages

The international standard is known for being an exclusive mechanism for increasing competitive strength. By performing as per the customers’ expectations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other degradable ingredients, a company makes a permanent impression. As per market research, the new generation of customers goes through the ingredient list and manufacturing process first before purchasing something. They are conscious buyers who do not invest in services that directly or indirectly harm nature. ISO 14001 is the wisest tool for ensuring the target segment that your actions have been carefully planned and executed. Your company achieves a competitive edge as you accomplish an almost niche customer base.

If a company meets legal compliance for waste reduction, it automatically reduces insurance costs and the overall cost of manufacturing and supply. ISO 14001 is a comprehensive measure for earning more than just competitive advantages.

To modify your current system as per the terms and conditions of ISO 14001 standard, hire expert audit specialists from Blue Wolf Certifications. It is India’s premium ISO consultancy website providing solutions for internal audits. To get complete guidance for conducting an effective audit assessment, contact here now!

The business continuity management system provides the most effective asset protection plan. ISO 22301 is designed to provide a concrete protocol that helps a company prevent and recover from potential hazards. Since a disaster can arrive anytime, all types of resources should be given the ultimate security so that they can perform as per their ability even after going through the disruptions.

The ISO 22301 certification procedure needs to be streamlined and the trickiest part is the internal audit. ISO 22301 audit is the second most significant evaluation after a gap analysis. It helps to check the progress and compare the financial outcome of the implemented system.

The process can take more than the usual time if the checklist is not ready properly. The audit checklist plays a crucial role in determining the final outcome of the assessment. Therefore, the content of the checklist should be designed carefully. Companies often make grave mistakes while choosing the right questionnaire for the checklist. Lack of experience and proper knowledge can turn the entire process exhausting and unprofitable.

The following post has briefly discussed what should be in the audit checklist for ISO 22301.

What is a checklist for an audit?

The audit checklist is considered a tool to facilitate the entire process. An audit checklist primarily adds information on the following –

• Scope of the audit

• Evidence collection

• Tests

• Each method for the test

• Analysis of the test results

The main areas of an audit checklist are – the standard, the procedure, performance monitoring, reporting, and system development. The checklist often includes follow-up actions for further modifications and improvements.

What are the main benefits of keeping an audit checklist ready?

• The audit checklist is an excellent mechanism for planning and maintaining time

• It acts as a database for contingency audit planning

• It ensures a flawless and productive process

• A checklist helps ensures that all the necessary evidence has been collected

• It ensures that the proper audit scope has been followed

What are the testing methods of the ISO 22301 audit?

Before understanding what should be incorporated into the audit checklist, it is necessary to understand the five fundamental methods for testing. There are five processes for audit testing. They are as follows –

• Observation

• Re-performance

• Observation

• Inspect all the evidence

• CAAT (Computer-Assisted Audit Tecnique

The ISO 22301 Audit Checklist

The checklist should be designed as per the main clauses of the ISO standard.

Clause  – Organizational context

Understanding the organizational context both internal and external is necessary when performing the audit. For an effective business continuity management plan, you need to define the organization first. A company is influenced by several factors, which must be enlisted while defining the context. The continuity plan should be made considering the values, interests, and opinions of each stakeholder. Accordingly, the following three things should be on the checklist

• All the internal and external problems, which influence the need for a robust continuity plan should be listed.

• The individual requirements of each stakeholder department should be listed.

• All the relevant laws should be enlisted

Clause – Limitation of the BCMS

As per clause 4, the business continuity management system should have a clearly defined boundary. Accordingly, the checklist should have the following –

• All those aspects, which are related to the scope

• Outputs, which are incorporated in the scope

• Explanation of the exclusions in a document

Clause – Management proactiveness/leadership

To effectively utilize all the necessary resources, a company needs proactive management. A strong sense of leadership and an understanding of the fundamentals are required. The management should be fully committed to the plan. To check that, the list should have –

• A clearly states business continuity plan and policy

• If the policy has been communicated to the internal and external stakeholders

• Leadership responsibilities

Clause  – Objectives & Resources

• Risks and opportunities

• Plan to work on the risk factors

• Objectives

• Determining the ideal resources

• Confirmation of resource acquisition

• A communication plan

Clause – Business Impact Analysis

• Key factors that influence product and service

• Identifying the resources to deliver the service

• Identifying and determining the business impact

• Setting a time frame for the recovery

Clause – Risk Assessment

• Risk identification

• Risk aggregation

• Prevention strategies

Clause – Procedures and plan

• Procedures for risk detection, aggregation and aversion

• Plan for acquiring resources and investing them for the ultimate execution

Clause – Continual Improvement

• Risk Control

• Plans for removing gaps

• Determining areas of improvement

• The corrective measures

To design an effective ISO 22301 audit checklist, you can hire expert consultants from Blue Wolf Certifications. It is India’s premium ISO consultancy website providing solutions for conducting internal audits before system registration.

The ISO 9001 audit is an independent process conducted for gathering facts to determine compliance with the standard. The aim of this objective-oriented, systematic, and documented procedure is to detect areas of improvement in compliance and activity and help management to implement the most relevant corrective actions.

An ISO 9001 audit is a very effective tool for evaluating compliance with your current quality management system and with the standard itself. Auditing is a crucial part of the checking process in the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle that is embedded into all ISO management system standards.  Audits are not the only form of checking, there are also many other versions such as inspections where relevant, management, supervisors, examinations, etc.  Amongst the other forms of checking, auditing has a special role in that it is planned, performed by competent individuals, and is effective at meeting its purpose which is to get a snapshot of compliance from a records point of view.

ISO 9001 does not require organizations to determine the financial viability of ISO 9001, therefore internal audits do not include an assessment of financial benefit.

Conducting the audit can be tricky for those who lack industry experience and knowledge of quality management systems. The following post discusses the essential elements and steps for performing a great ISO 9001 system audit.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is the international and industry generic standard for quality management systems. The aim of the certification is to support companies in ensuring their product/services meet the industry guidelines and customer expectations. The standard can be a most effective marketing tool that adds competitive advantage by strengthening brand loyalty. With consistent performance, ISO 9001 compliance helps organizations to retain their customers. Therefore, it acts as a powerful tool for business sustainability and establishment as well.

Steps For Conducting ISO 9001 Audit

Internal audit – The internal audit, or in other words a “first party audit” is a requirement within ISO 9001. Therefore, you cannot comply with ISO 9001 unless you perform internal audits. Internal audits can be performed by a competent individual within the organization or external to the organization. The internal auditor will need to be trained and competent, but does not need to have lead auditor training, as lead auditor training is only a requirement for certification audits.  Internal audits will have to be planned and executed according to ISO 9001. Internal audits will be performed regularly at frequencies determined by your organization, usually annually at least.

2nd party audits – 2nd party audits are usually performed by your customer or a representative of the customer. The customer will normally pay for the 2nd party audit, unless agreed otherwise. 2nd party audits are not a requirement of ISO 9001; however, some customers will insist on 2nd party audits as part of their own purchasing requirements, or when you are not ISO 9001 certified.

Precertification audits – Precertification audits are performed by a certification body if requested by your organization. Precertification audits are not a requirement of ISO 9001.  Precertification audits are more like a readiness review for management that are not confident they are ready for certification.  Precertification audits can be offered by the certification body at a price and there are no particular rules that must be followed for these audits in ISO 9001 or ISO 17021.  Normally the auditor will provide an audit report at the end of their audit.

Stage 1 Audit – The stage 1 audit is the primary process that prepares an organization for the final round of evaluation which is the stage 2 audit. Through stage 1, management and the certification body confirm the scope of the activity, and whether the management review and internal audit have been effectively performed. Through the process, the certification body checks if the quality management system has been documented, and if there will be a high likelihood of a major corrective action in the stage 2 audit. The auditor will provide a report at the end of the stage 1 audit that emphasizes non-compliances and opportunities for improvement if there are any.

Stage 2 Audit – At stage 2, the auditor checks any corrections or changes from the stage 1 audit. The focus of this audit is whether you have implemented the quality management system. A checklist and questionnaire are prepared for the audit.  During the audit, selected personnel in your organization will be asked about their understanding of the quality management system and performance. Records will also be checked. At this stage, management needs to show evidence of compliance. Inability to prove compliance through records and discussions can lead to major or minor corrective actions.  Major corrective actions must be corrected before the ISO 9001 certificate is issued. Minor corrective actions must have a plan in place before the certificate is issued.  Implementation of the plan for minor corrective actions will be checked at the next annual audit. The auditor will provide a report at the end of the stage 2 audit.

Certification – If both stages 1 and 2 show an adequate level of compliance to the standards and your company’s quality management system, your company will be recommended for certification, and the certification body will therefore issue your ISO 9001 certificate. Congratulations!! Typically, the certification body will also add your organization name and certification details to their own list of clients on their website, and potentially also to the accreditation body and to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) website.  Typically, your organization will also receive certification logos or marks for use within your organization such as on marketing materials.

Surveillance Audit – This is done to check the progress and performance of the implemented or modified quality management system. Certification is valid for three years, and within this time period, the audit is performed at least twice to ensure that your organization continues to comply with ISO 9001. It also helps to identify possible areas of improvement.  These audits also help companies prepare for future audits.

Recertification audit – Like most other ISO management system certifications, ISO 9001 lasts for three consecutive years. While the surveillance audit determines consistent performance, the recertification audit is performed to recertify your organization for an additional three years. Alongside the basic audit process, the recertification audit concentrates on new quality objectives and plans for upcoming years. If the recertification audit is successful, a brand-new ISO 9001 certificate is issued by the certification body.

The entire process can be exhausting and difficult. To streamline the process, you might consider engaging support from expert ISO consultants.

Blue Wolf Certifications is a business partner to various accredited certification bodies. To put it another way, we are one of their auditors, a regional office.

Our auditors have been described as transparent, open, fair and supportive. And even easy to talk to and helpful.

Our audits have been described as nonthreatening, relaxing, straightforward, orderly, professional and painless.

Take the advice of our clients, we will make your ISO certification journey easier and less stressful.

We can audit and provide accredited certifications for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 37001, ISO 45001 and other certifications.

Contact us here now!