ISO 9001 Standard is suitable for any organization looking to improve the way it is operated and managed, regardless of size or sector. However, the best returns on investment come from those companies that are prepared to implement it throughout their organization rather than at particular sites, departments or divisions.

ISO 9000 is the International Organization for Standardization. It is made up of national standards institutes from countries large and small, industrialized and developing, in all regions of the world.

ISO 9001 develops voluntary technical standards which add value to all types of business operations. They contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner. They make trade between countries easier and fairer. ISO 9001 standards also serve to safeguard consumers and users in general of products and services — and to make their lives simpler.

ISO 9001 Standards develops only those standards which are required by the market. This work is carried out by experts on loan from the industrial, technical and business sectors which have asked for the standards, and which subsequently put them to use.

These experts may be joined by others with relevant knowledge, such as representatives of government agencies and testing laboratories. Published under the designation of International Standards, ISO 9001 standards represent an international consensus on the “state of the art” in the technology concerned.

Read more on ISO 9001 Standards at http://www.iso9001store.com

In addition to the economic costs of energy to an organization, energy can impose environmental and societal costs by depleting resources and contributing to problems such as climate change.

The development and deployment of technologies for new energy sources and renewable sources can take time.

Individual organizations cannot control energy prices, government policies or the global economy, but they can improve the way they manage energy in the here and now. Improved energy performance can provide rapid benefits for an organization by maximizing the use of its energy sources and energy-related assets, thus reducing both energy cost and consumption. The organization will also make positive contributions toward reducing depletion of energy resources and mitigating worldwide effects of energy use, such as global warming.

ISO 50001 is based on the management system model that is already understood and implemented by organizations worldwide. It can make a positive difference for organizations of all types in the very near future, while supporting longer term efforts for improved energy technologies.

ISO 50001 will provide public and private sector organizations with management strategies to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve energy performance.

The ISO 50001:2011 standard is intended to provide organizations with a recognized framework for integrating energy performance into their management practices.

Multinational organizations will have access to a single, harmonized standard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing improvements.

The standard is intended to accomplish the following :

• Assist organizations in making better use of their existing energyconsuming assets

• Create transparency and facilitate communication on the management of energy resources

• Promote energy management best practices and reinforce good energy management behaviours

• Assist facilities in evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies

• Provide a framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain

• Facilitate energy management improvements for greenhouse gas emission reduction project

• Allow integration with other organizational management systems such as environmental, and health and safety

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has issued ISO 9000 standards for Quality Management Systems (QMS), and the ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). More recently, a consortium of standards bodies have issued the OHSAS 18001 occupational health & safety management systems (HSMS) standard. It is anticipated that the OHSAS 18001 standard will also become a future ISO standard. Additional standards exist for specific applications such as the automotive industry QS 9000 and TS 16945 standards. Many organizations have seen the benefits of these systems of management, and have encouraged or required their suppliers and vendors to implement similar systems.

Consider some of the following opportunities for integrating systems:

• Combine EMS and HSMS manuals, particularly if the same department is involved in the implementation of both systems
• Combine Objectives, Targets, & Programs, especially in cases where there is overlap. For example, substituting less hazardous chemicals or alternative processes can have a positive impact on the environment AND it can also reduce occupational health & safety risks and hazards.
• Combine Audit Systems. Often, the same internal auditors can audit areas for environmental as well as health & safety at the same time. Additionally, internal EMS audits can be combined with internal HSMS audits in the many areas of overlap.
• Combine Corrective & Preventive Action Systems. The standards for the quality management systems (QMS), the environmental management systems (EMS), and the health and safety management systems (HSMS) all require similar corrective & preventive action systems. When non-conformances to these systems are identified, corrective actions must be identified and implemented to fix the specific non-conformance. In addition, the root cause of the specific non-conformance must be identified so that a preventive action can be identified and implemented to prevent similar non-conformances or repeat instances of nonconformance’s from occurring. The same or similar tracking systems can be used for QMS, EMS, and/or HSMS. Electronic forms and databases are a very effective way of tracking these items to closure and ensuring the responsible persons identify, implement, and verify actions.
• Combine Documentation Systems. Many companies already have formal documentation procedures for engineering design and manufacturing specifications. Companies who have already implemented ISO 9000 systems often have very sophisticated electronic document control systems. Avoid “re-inventing the wheel” by taking advantage of existing systems that already meet the ISO standards or just need minor “tweaking” to meet the standard. Using the same system makes it easier for employees to use too.
• Combine Management Review Systems. Consider incorporating the environmental, health and safety (EH&S) management reviews into existing management review systems.  Take advantage of processes learned through quality management systems (such as development of effective process and result metrics) to present useful and meaningful information to management.

Read more on ISO 9001 Standards at http://www.iso9001store.com

Under ISO 9001:2008, it was possible for organizations to exclude functions and processes of their organization that may have been difficult to control or were not part of the order fulfilment cycle. Organizations that designed their own products but not for specific customers could escape bringing these operations into the management system. Marketing was omitted because it operated before placement of order. Accounting, Administration, Maintenance, Publicity, Public Relations and After Sales Support functions were often omitted because there were no requirements in the standard that specifically dealt with such activities. As there is no function in an organization that does not directly or indirectly serve the satisfaction of interested parties, it is unlikely that any function or process will now be excluded from the quality management system.

It is sensible to describe the scope of the quality management system so as to ensure effective communication. The scope of the quality management system is one area that generates a lot of misunderstanding particularly when dealing with auditors, consultants and customers. When you claim you have a management system that meets ISO 9001 it could imply that you design, develop, install and service the products you supply, when in fact you may only be a distributor. Why you need to justify specific exclusions is uncertain because it is more practical to justify inclusions.

The scope of the quality management system is the scope of the organization. There is no longer any reason to exclude locations, activities, functions or processes for which there is no requirement in the standard. The reason is because the ISO 9000 family now serves customer satisfaction and is not limited to quality assurance as were the 1994 versions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003.

It is not appropriate to address exclusions by inserting pages in the manual corresponding to the sections of the standard and adding justification if not within the scope of the management system – such as ‘We don’t do this!’.

It is much more appropriate to use an appendix as indicated previously in the manual contents list. By describing the nature of the business, you are establishing boundary conditions. If in doing so you do not mention that you design products, it will be interpreted that design is not applicable.

For exclusions relative to detail requirements, the Compliance Matrix may suffice but for an unambiguous solution, it is preferable to produce an exposition that addresses each requirement of the standard.

and ISO 14000, an organized approach is necessary to achieve certification. Although the written requirements contained in ISO 14001 are straightforward and brief, the level of effort required to conform with the requirements should not be underestimated.

If an environmental review of the facility‘s operations has not been conducted, it is important to retain a qualified consultant to conduct the review. which should focus on the requirements of ISO 14000 versus programs currently in use. This activity is known as a Gap Analysis.?E After the Gap Analysis is completed, the environmental status of the operation should be known and the level of effort necessary to develop the ISO 14000 program understood.

It can easily take six months to a year to develop a program that meets EMS requirements. Staff should develop the EMS program as they will ultimately be required to manage it. If staff is inadequate to develop the program, a consultant can be retained to provide guidance to staff as the program is being developed.

But, retaining a consultant will not resolve the problem of long term program maintenance. The ultimate goal of developing the EMS is to obtain certification/registration. Aside from the internal benefits offered by the ISO 14000 series of standards, external benefits may be derived through the certification/registration process. The certification/registration process only applies to ISO 14001, and this is the only standard to which the audit process applies. For the purposes of certification/registration, all other ISO 14000 standards are considered guidance. Certification can either be by a self declaration?Eor by an independent registrar.

Obviously the use of an independent registrar would give more credibility to those looking at an organization from outside.

Registrars have individual preferences about how the requirements should be administered. A registrar should be selected early in the process to help ensure that the program being developed is consistent with the registrars preferences. When the program is fully prepared and implemented, the registrar will be notified and a formal program audit undertaken. This audit will not result in a denial of ISO 14000 certification, but it may result in either approval or a list of deficiencies that must be corrected before certification.

Avoid spinning your wheels by learning precisely which modifications and additions to ISO 14001:2004 require your attention for compliance with ISO 9001:2008.

Get a quick handle, through hands-on activities, on the environmental aspects of ISO 14001:2004, including how to:
- Develop an environmental policy statement appropriate for your company
- Integrate processes for identifying environmental aspects and impacts
- Identify environmental objectives, set related targets, and establish programs for achieving results
- Integrate environmental responsibilities and authorities into a management system
- Outline an environmental awareness and training program
- Establish environmental metrics and indicators for monitoring performance
- Integrate requirements on non-conformance and corrective and preventive actions into your existing system
- Understand the purpose and scope of the environmental management review
- Integrate document control requirements of ISO 14001:2004 into your current system
- Identify those operations that need to be controlled under EMS and identify emergency operations and contingencies that must be considered as part of EMS

Get off to a running start by learning to use a versatile prioritization matrix to identify and prioritize significant environmental aspects and impacts.

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Clause 4.2.1 General explains that the quality management system documentation shall include:

documented statements of a quality policy and quality objectives;

a quality manual documented procedures required by this International Standard documents needed by the organization to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of its processes, and records required by this International Standard;

The notes after Clause 4.2 make it clear that where the standard specifically requires a “documented procedure”, the procedure has to be established, documented, implemented and maintained. It also emphasizes that the extent of the QMS documentation may differ from one organization to another due to:

the size of organization and type of activities;

the complexity of processes and their interactions, and

the competence of personnel.

All the documents that form part of the QMS have to be controlled in accordance with clause 4.2.3 of ISO 9001:2008, or, for the particular case of records, according to clause 4.2.4.

The UK-based Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) has published an opinion that this means that compliance against each and every piece of legislation / regulation relating to an organisation’s environmental aspects will need to be evaluated before it can be considered to be in conformity with ISO 14001: 2004; it will not be acceptable for organisations to claim that the periodic evaluation will be covered by their internal EMS audit program at some future date.

This has always been one of the most difficult issues in ISO 14001:2004, and organisations will need to review and revise their compliance procedures to ensure that they meet these new requirements.

Read more on ISO 14001 Standards at http://www.e-wia.com

Although ISO 14001 is a set of voluntary standards that individual companies may or may not choose to adopt, governments can clearly have a role in providing information, establishing the necessary framework and infrastructure, and, in some cases, helping companies to develop the
basic capabilities to adopt ISO 14001. There are wo particular areas in which government action would be useful:
(a) providing information on he sectors and markets where ISO 14001 certification s a significant issue and assisting sector rganizations to develop appropriate responses, and
(b) helping to establish a certification framework, ased on strengthening national standards organizations and encouraging competitive private sector provision of auditing and certification
services. At present, the World Bank is having discussions with a number of countries about how assistance could be provided with these issues.

Governments should see EMS approaches as part of a broad environmental strategy that includes regulatory systems, appropriate financial incentives, and encouragement of improved industrial performance. Such encouragement can really only be effective where there is cooperation at the government level between the relevant departments, including industry and trade, as well as environment. There is a growing interest in integrating environmental management issues into productivity or competitiveness centers designed to promote SME performance, but little information exists on experience to date.

However, as environmental issues have increased in importance, organizations in the service and support sectors have adopted EMS as well. The spectrum of EMS users has broadened to areas including zoos, farming, schools and universities, military services, media, ships and airlines.

ISO 14001 certification now reaches cruise ship companies, marine transportation services, container carriers and leading ship classification societies.

Almost all airlines and airports can be expected to be certified within the next ten years. Recreation, holidays, browsing in shopping malls. More and more small- and medium-sized enterprises are discovering the benefits of certification. The myth that ISO 14001 is difficult to implement for small business is de-bunked by the fact that more than 200 German chimney sweeps are certified.

The number of EMS users will continue to grow, particularly as ISO 14001 penetrates more effectively into supply chains.

The real challenge in the future, however, will be how well the ISO 14001 participants deal with the most compelling environmental threats – climate change, resource use, biodiversity loss and legal compliance.

For ISO 14001 to maintain its international currency as a force for environmental protection, it will need to demonstrate that it is able to support action on these areas and remain an effective tool for sustainable consumption and production.