Compliance is the key to ensuring the quality of your operations
Executives and line-of-business managers have been known to cringe and experience high levels of anxiety when the words “regulations,” “standards,” and “compliance” make their way into the conversation. We’d like to suggest that “regulations” are not a bad thing. Complying with them should not be seen as burden to doing business.
They’re the reason you’re in business. Standards exist to ensure the quality of your operations. Adhering to them means you’re dedicated to producing quality products, services, and/or solutions.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was established to develop industry-specific standards that organizations can follow to improve safety, working conditions, operational efficiencies, and quality of service.
If high anxiety exists, that’s because enterprises of significant size—with their multiple layers of systems and operations—face a range of complexities in trying to adhere to them.
There may not be an app for that, but there are definitely automated, enterprise-friendly platforms available to help overcome that challenge.
These standards enhance quality and improve workplace safety
But first, let’s take a closer look at two standards germane to your business: ISO 9001 and ISO 45001.
ISO 9001:2015
This standard establishes criteria for a quality management system based on the following principles:
- Strong customer focus
- The motivation and implication of top management
- Approaches to process
- Continual improvement
ISO 9001 has been around for decades; ISO 9001:2015 is its most recent iteration. Essentially, it helps ensure that customers consistently receive quality products and services. More detailed information can be found here.
Any organization in practically any field is encouraged to follow it; in fact, ISO 9001 applies to 1 million companies across more than 170 countries. While it’s relatively easy for smaller businesses to become ISO 9001-certified with inexpensive off-the-shelf solutions, it’s far more challenging and complex for larger enterprises that have multiple stakeholders, departments, and business initiatives.
ISO 45001:2018
This standard replaces OHSAS 18001, the former global reference for workplace health and safety. It aims to further reduce workplace injuries and illnesses around the world by providing a robust and effective set of processes for improving work safety. This update was spurred by a 2017 report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) that revealed:
- 2.78 million fatal accidents occur at work every year
- 7,700 people die every day from work-related diseases or injuries
- 374 million non-fatal, work-related injuries and illnesses occur every year
ISO 45001 asserts that organizations are responsible for protecting and promoting the mental and physical health and safety of its workers and everybody who can be affected by the organization’s activities. It provides governmental agencies and public and private industries with an easy-to-follow framework for improving worker safety.
Designed to integrate with other ISO management systems standards, ISO 45001 is highly compatible with ISO 9001:2015. If you currently adhere to an ISO standard, you’re already ahead of the game if you choose to work toward ISO 45001. If you’re certified to OHSAS 18001, you have three years to comply with the new standard (although it’s not required to be certified to ISO 45001).
DevonWay helps enterprises like yours meet ISO standards
These ISO standards aim to continuously improve workplace safety and quality of services, products, and processes. The issue is that large enterprises, with their complex environments and systems, face a stronger challenge adhering to them.
Fortunately, DevonWay Quality Management can relieve the burden. We understand the need to be proactive as well as reactive to regulatory standards. Our agile, tailored software is designed to help large, regulated organizations cost effectively automate the processes that not only make compliance easier but can transform the culture as well.
As a leading provider of work, quality, and safety management solutions, DevonWay supplies software to organizations in energy, government, biotech, engineering, and other high-reliability industries. DevonWay solutions seamlessly connect your backend systems of record, minimizing the impact on your operations. And because the software adapts to the way you work—not the other way around—you minimize change management while future-proofing your systems against changes to standards and needs.
Next steps
Learn more about how DevonWay can help your enterprise comply with industry standards. Please visit: https://devonway.com
