What is certification and why do we need it?

The way I first understood ISO certification was through food.

Ok, let me explain.

Have you ever seen those stamps on food packaging? Perhaps the Australian-made one or the Australian Certified Organic stamp? These are essentially a ‘stamp of approval’ to show that the product meets specific standards. These are independent companies that have created their ‘own’ standard; however, in a broader sense, certification is like a stamp of approval that shows a business, product, or service meets specific standards. It’s a way to prove that a company is doing what it says it’s doing, verified by an independent expert aka our Certification Oceania auditors! In this case, we are talking about certifying to the ISO Standards.

So, what are ISO Standards?

ISO standards are ‘universal guidelines’, a guidebook which, when used well, can help businesses operate efficiently, safely, and responsibly. These ‘universal guidelines’ were written by a group of very smart people who work in the International Organization for Standardization (say that fast five times!).

The main standards that you may have heard of are these four (and before any ISO wizards jump in to challenge these 'think' explanations - this is just a starting point of how to make the standards approachable!

Quality management system (ISO 9001) - ‘think’ how to run a quality business.

Environmental management system (ISO 14001) - ‘think' how to run your business in an environmentally friendly way.

Occupational health and safety management system (ISO 45001) - ‘think’ how to run your business in the safest way possible.

Information security management system (ISO 27001) - ‘think' how to protect your business from information security risks.

So, what does it mean to be certified?

Getting ISO certified means a company has been independently checked (this is where we come in) and certified to have met the requirements (must-dos) of each clause of the relevant management system. This is sort of like saying they run their business the way the guidebook tells us, and they are doing what they say they are doing!

So, why do we need this?

Well, I'm so pleased you asked! Because it builds trust. When a company is certified; customers, partners, and regulators know they can rely on it—like Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf) relies on Bumblebee and Optimus Prime to save Earth in the Transformers movies.

Bottom line: certification is important because it provides proof, not just promises. Just like Sam wouldn't trust just anyone to protect the planet. Businesses and consumers need reliable, third-party verification to ensure companies are doing what they claim.

So, be like Optimus, Bumblebee and the Autobots,  not the DECEPT-icons—get certified today!