Written by: Mohit

The fundamental goal of any business is to maximize its customer reach and scale it to new heights. To achieve these goals, you must be at the top of your game.

Customers that care about the quality and effectiveness of their purchases are inclined to spend dollars on companies because they can rely on them to meet their standards. Many potential customers are usually not confident enough to put their values in the hands of small and medium scale businesses unless a company has given them a reason to earn that trust.

Reaching out to those values of the customers, or manufacturers and helping them make their purchasing decisions can escort you to a new growth course of action. ISO standards are right for your business because they help you to reach out to new customers and create value in the global marketplace.

The purpose of standardization is to ensure consistency and safety of products, promotion of global compatibility and streamline production in various industries.

With the increase in e-commerce businesses, customers have changed their way of traditional shopping. They are more indulged in online shopping. Business owners are also shifting to the new digital mode of shopping by selling on e-commerce giants such as Amazon Seller Central. So, if you are someone who has an online e-commerce business and is passionate about taking it to the next level, do consider getting this certification.

To start an online business, you will need to look into certificates and registrations, some are mandatory like GST registration, business licenses, etc., and others like ISO are only mandatory for some industries whose clients require it – but it comes with its own set of benefits. Just like how a GST Number is crucial for a business to provide authenticity and credibility, so too does ISO Certification. GST Number will be provided as per the GST State code of the Business location, and your company will receive a Certification of Registration to the ISO Standard you are working towards, for example, ISO 9001. Every business owner must consider it for the future growth of the Organization.

In this article, we will see how e-commerce sellers need to think about getting ISO certification and what value it will add to the business.

What are ISO Standards?

The International Organization for Standardization is an international independent and non-governmental body that has a set of protocols and guidelines to ensure the safety, quality, efficiency, and performance of the products. When your business is competing in the global marketplace, it is necessary to keep the checks and balance in place. Otherwise, it would be burdensome to maintain consistency and quality across the global market.

To avoid such situations, International Standards help to maintain this level. An organization that is said to be “ISO Certified” means that the organization has fulfilled all the requirements of that standard, conducted consistent 3rd party audits, and has proven to be in compliance with the standard. You can verify this by visiting IAFCertSearch.org or by speaking directly with the Certification Body who issues the certificate.

The root Greek word for ISO is Isos which means equal. The main goal of the ISO certification is to help organizations become equal and provide high-class services and standards. ISO certification covers safety, quality, consistency of products and the way organizations operate their business.

The maxim of ISO standards is to ensure consistency. It can be in any field, be it social responsibility, energy management or medical equipment, regardless of the industry or scope ISO certifications are applicable

For instance, if you work in the e-commerce industry, you have different marketplaces and frameworks than those in the Automotive industry. Every business has its own set of challenges and risks, and therefore implementing ISO Standard can help you mitigate those and increase efficiencies that are recognized on a global scale.

How ISO Standards Certificates Can Help E-commerce Sellers

International Standards create a sense of confidence and reliability among consumers. ISO standard certification can be great for e-commerce sellers to gain international recognition in the global market. ISO certified companies show the rest of the world how they can work in conformity in the global market with international standards.

For customers, this ensures that the organization offers excellent services.

ISO 9001 certification verifies to customers an organizations commitment to ensuring quality, consistency, and authenticity. There are so many benefits for e-commerce sellers, some of them are mentioned below:

1. Customer Satisfaction

Customer confidence increases as standardization ensure the consistent quality of products. Standardization enables customers to be proactive in researching companies and selecting quality products and services. It illustrates the ability of the organization to constantly deliver high-quality services and products as promised by the organization by means of an effective business system that allows checks and balances along the whole process to avoid risks and increase customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction is a vital element of ISO 9001. This standard not only focuses on boosting sales and quality but focuses on customer reviews and feedback, so your organization is constantly understanding your customers, their needs and wants, and any changes that need to be made. This enables organizations to improve the service quality that they provide.

Gradually, the organization will generate large customer satisfaction and lesser complaints.  Over time, fewer mistakes are made, and consistency improves. Hence, ISO certification can boost customer satisfaction and will let your business grow, creating recommendations and repeat business.

2. Brand and Reputation

Whenever any company gets ISO certified, they get well known for its brand in the market. The badge is followed by creating a sustainable reputation in the market. As quality, authenticity, and consistency of the services or products are ensured, the brand name and visibility in the market gets increased.

Brand name and reputation play an important role to be recognized in the marketplace. Through ISO certification, any small or medium-sized business can get the authority to get recognized. ISO helps to increase the visibility of the organization and increase its quality.

3. International Business

Standards provide your business access to new markets. You may be eligible for government contracts, join supply chain projects, or be able to win contracts over your competitors.

Standardization enables the local e-commerce business holders to enter the global markets. By entering in the international market, you have a lower chance of being the first option for many customers who are not familiar with your brand. Being able to boast Internationally Recognized certification for quality like ISO 9001 can give your potential customers trust in your product and its reliability. We all have had one experience or many of ordering something online and the product that you receive is nothing like you expected. That will ruin the reputation of your business in the eyes of that consumer, and potentially more as they tell their story to others. And with the rise of posting on social media to bring attention to these reviews, one bad review can be detrimental to your organization. Perfecting your system using International Standards can ensure you are consistently making quality products just like the pictures on your e-commerce site, thereby negating that risk.

With consistently achievable quality and customer satisfaction, your customer reach increases, which expands the business and increases the overall profits. This can be a huge step, as entering the international market will create a brand image of your business at a global level, among the big companies. You will get to compete in the global market that will take your business to new heights.

4. Ensures online security

Just like an SSL certificate of registration on your website provides proof that the e-commerce business is inclined towards the online safety and security of its customers, ISO Certification shows your commitment too. Ownership, user credentials, use and display of any ISO Certificates are controlled by guidelines that are published by the Certification Body that issued this certificate, and therefore will be able to help anyone interested validate the authenticity of a certification. This is important as an unaccredited certification is not valid.

Organizations with a vested interest in protecting their information secure online might also what to investigate certifications like ISO 27001 to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of their customers’ information. The ISO 27001 is an international standard that defines requirements for an Information Security Management System, and it strives to ensures that sufficient security controls are set in motion within the certified organizations.

The e-commerce giant Snapdeal achieved ISO 27001:2013 certification making it among some of the e-commerce companies to do so. The certification helps in implementing an information security management system that enables organizations to gain a competitive advantage in the market, prevent cyber threats to the customers and meet supply chain demands.

So, customers would want to shop from such e-commerce portals with utmost security standards.

5. Increase in Revenue

Once your e-commerce business ISO certified, they have a quality certificate that can be advertised and respond to requests for more quotes from big firms. Consequently, ISO certificates increase your sales and revenue. Three in five companies that adopted ISO increased their revenues.

Customers like to shop from a reliable site, as ISO certification prepared organizations to take active steps to understand and prepare for risks and work towards consistency in quality, authenticity and integrity of your interfaces and it is behind the scenes processes at all levels of their organization. This enables the organization to run smoothly and focus on what they are good at, impressing their customers. This universal approach to processes across your organization will help customers feel like each stage of their journey is seamless and more consumers will come to shop from your online store as a result.

Note: Many companies require suppliers and manufacturers to be certified. You also get a chance to enter foreign markets, which is an added advantage.

The movement of goods, logistics, supply chain makes trading easy and safe when an organization has a unified and consistent process-based approached rooted in an internationally recognized standard like ISO. It is a great way to help your company understand your business and its commitments, showcase your accomplishments through certificate, and win deals through this competitive advantage.

About the Author

Mohit is an e-commerce expert at MohitECommerce. He works on many e-commerce marketplaces and helps the vendors in Amazon Seller Registration, Amazon Fba, Paytm kyc, etc. He likes to meet all types of businesspeople who are interested in stepping up into an online marketplace.

ISO 9001:2015 Certification is a popular certification standard for companies across many sectors.
ISO 9001 aims to enhance the quality of an organization’s products & services. It also helps to improve customer satisfaction and streamline business operations.

A properly implemented ISO 9001 management system can also help your organization by saving costs in the long run through increased efficiency and reduced downtime due to error.

A Quality Management System (QMS) is the backbone for ISO 9001:2015 Standard. The successful implementation of a QMS can help your organization to achieve business excellence.

What is a Quality Management System?
The Quality Management System may be a centralized system that facilitates management review, effective resource utilization, and continuous improvements. It standardizes business processes that are implemented to make sure organizations are following a consistent procedure in production and operation.

QMS requires the creating of Comprehensive Operating Procedures (SOPs) and deploying a robust Management Framework to ensure product quality is always top-notch. ISO Certification ensures continuous improvement and enhanced risk assessment. It helps in achieving a systemic approach, product quality, and process consistency across all departments of the organization.

8 Core Elements of a top-quality Management System
Quality Management System helps in achieving ISO Standard compliance, enhances process quality, and streamlines operations.

ISO 9001:2015 is based on the following principles of Quality Management:

 • Customer Focus
• Leadership
• People engagement
• Process approach
• Continuous improvement
• Evidence-based decision making
• Relationship Management

The core components of a top-quality Management System include:

1. Quality Objectives
   QMS requires drafting the standard objectives to start with. The objectives will define the future goals and therefore the purpose of QMS.

A well-drafted objective determines the success of the QMS. It helps the organization to understand customer requirements and cater to the growing demand effectively.

2. Organizational structure and responsibilities
QMS must have the updated organizational structure and include the corresponding responsibilities to attain goals and set KPIs for every team.

There should be a clear representation of the roles and responsibilities of each team.

3. Data Management
Managing the organizational data effectively is a key requirement for the QMS system. Data Management helps in identifying the vulnerabilities and taking the required corrective actions promptly.

Inaccurate data management could lead to inconsistent product quality, operational inefficiency, and low customer satisfaction.

Hence, management must be monitoring the system with timely checks on the vulnerabilities of the business operations.

The organization must have a strong QMS to ensure all required information is collected and processed the proper way and the practice of continuous improvement is followed in analyzing the collected information

4. Processes
Streamlining of Business Operations is a vital aspect of the QMS System. All the organizational processes must be identified.

The effectiveness of resource utilization determines the respective results. All the results must be tracked and optimized accordingly.
The process optimizations follow the below steps:
• Identifying the organizational processes and resources utilized
• Defining process standards and corrective actions if any
• Setting up a way to measure continuous improvements
• Recording the changes in process, improvements, and results. Follow a uniform approach to realize a consistent result.
• Practicing Continuous Improvement to further optimize the method

5. Customer Satisfaction with Product Quality
Measuring Customer Satisfaction is another requirement of the QMS. Customer Satisfaction is the measure of quality process effectiveness.

Hence, by conducting customer interviews, feedback, surveys, the extent of customer experience delivered and satisfaction from the product or service is measured.

6. Continuous Improvements
Continuous Improvement is a must-do practice to follow for achieving consistent product quality.

For the organizational process to satisfy the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, the continual improvements practises must be documented and the control points must be tracked periodically. This will help ensure a smooth operation with quality as the top priority.

7. Quality instruments
For product companies that use ISO 9001:2015 to enhance their efficiency and service quality, the instruments used must be maintained to a high grade of quality.

The testing and calibration equipment utilized in testing the system must comply with ISO 9001:2015 guidelines.

8. Document Control
A QMS should include documented information that records all important aspects and organizational operations including the following:
• Employee Communication on critical projects or tasks
• Evidence of Process Improvements, Operational Processes, Organizational Structure, etc.
• QMS Conformity and Knowledge Sharing

All the documentation regarding the QMS should be focused on enhancing the organization’s operational processes and functions. It must be managed and monitored regularly for the continued success of the QMS.

Note: Organizations should also not fall victim to the classic “set it and forget it” mentality with QMS implementations. ISO 9001 encourages continual improvement, which means that your organization should be re-evaluating your existing processes and procedures on a fairly regular bases to understand what is working, and what is not functional for your company culture. Some processes might work on paper, but in practice they are not effective.

To learn more about implementing an efficient Quality Management System in UAE, ask our expert ISO Consultants right away!

About the Author

John Wick is an ISO Consultant working with Aurion ISO Consultants in Dubai. John likes to write on ISO Training, ISO Consulting, latest changes in ISO Standards, industry-wise benefits from getting ISO Certified. Reach out for expert consultation on any ISO related queries.

About Aurion

Aurion ISO Consultants, Dubai offers world-class ISO Services such as Training, Consulting, Certification, Implementation, and Audits in Dubai, UAE and Worldwide.

Aurion ISO Consultants is an Award-Winning Consultant firm in Dubai, UAE and one of the fastest-growing ISO Service provider in the UAE and GCC region. We have assisted 1800 clients across several countries globally.

We provide you with a Single-Window Solution with ISO Consulting, ISO Training, and ISO Implementation and ISO Audit Services. With our ISO Certification, you can transform your business into quality first one.

Contact Us: Aurion ISO Consultants | 0097142504150 | contact@aurioninternational.com |#213&214,6E-A Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai | www.aurioninternational.com

While you are planning to implement ISO Certification Standards for your organizations, to know more about the ISO Certification standards and all ISO related services from Aurion ISO Consultants, you call us right away!

Written by Jorine Bibi

If you’re familiar at all with the concept of ISO certification, you likely think of it with regard to businesses and large industries. These are the environments within which quality management and the standardization of practices can appear to matter most. And to be sure, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has put forth innumerable sets of standards that benefit operations in business and industry. However, ISO activity is not exclusive to these areas. It can also be useful in other fields we don’t consider as frequently — such as education.

Sure enough, in 2018 we saw the announcement of ISO 21001, designed as a new set of standards for “Educational Organization Management Systems.” It became the first international management standard for the education field, and was meant to benefit educational institutions and learners alike.

To delve further into ISO 21001 and what it means for the education sector, here are a few specific points about the standards and the people and institutions they affect.

The First Educational Organization Management Standards

It’s important to point out that this is not necessarily the first set of standards applied to education. Others, however, have been more polarizing. Most notable are the standardized tests that are used across the U.S. to help determine students’ qualifications for higher education. These have existed for a long time, and though they do help to establish an easier method for assessing and placing students, there are common arguments suggesting that they’re actually detrimental to education. An article on testing by a University of Pittsburgh professor outlined numerous ways in which standardized testing can be problematic, including such points as that testing prep takes away from learning time; that content knowledge declines in favor of testing strategy; and that schools with poor testing reputations actually lose resources.

This is not to imply that standardizing practices in education is necessarily bad. Instead, it’s to point out that there are existing examples of standardization, some of which just happen to be questionable. The ISO 21001, however, is the first global standard of its kind for the actual management of educational organizations.

ISO 21001 Benefits

Different ISO standards can be difficult to fully understand from the outside. Details in fact aren’t always even available to any who aren’t directly using said standards. By now though, enough information about ISO 21001 has become available that we can discuss its key benefits with some clarity.

A write-up by Code Acts In Education provides one of the more granular examinations of the standards, and highlights 11 specific benefits that are actually listed in an “explanatory PowerPoint” about ISO 21001. These include, but are not limited to: aligning educational mission, vision, objectives, and action plans; inclusive and equitable education for all; more personalized learning and responsiveness to special education needs; consistent processes and evaluation tools; models for improvement; and increased credibility of the educational organization. In short, ISO 21001 is designed to fully standardize the business of education — from goals, to methods, to adjustments.

Directives for Educators

From the outside looking in, we think of teaching as a learned skill more than an ongoing job. That is to say, we imagine that teachers educate themselves, train, obtain degrees, and then simply do one job for as long as they see fit to do it. In a technical sense this is accurate, but the truth of the matter is that teachers have to have the capacity to adjust.

This in fact is something that’s increasingly emphasized in the actual education of teachers as well. As Maryville University outlines for students considering taking an online doctorate in education, aspiring teachers training to educate need to learn “the leadership abilities and perspective to meet the challenges of today — and tomorrow.” That’s another way of saying that teachers are now being trained to lead by adaptation, and to be poised to embrace and capitalize on changes.

ISO 21001 standards work hand-in-hand with this increasing emphasis on adaptability by providing more guidance for a greater variety of situations. While teachers and educational leaders should still be able adapt on their own, and get creative in finding solutions to new problems, ISO 21001 provides a blueprint for a lot of the changes that may arise.

An Even Playing Field for Learners

Interestingly enough, another significant aspect of ISO 21001 standards for educational institutions — both in school environments and elsewhere — is that they can help to even the playing field for learners. This is almost ironic given the aforementioned example of standardized testing as an existing standardized education model that can actually result in less fairness between learners.

Because ISO 21001 establishes guidelines for so many scenarios related to how education is handled and how learners are to be approached and managed, the hope is that in time the standards will result in a more uniform education ecosystem. This does not mean that every institution and instructor has to be the same, or even teach in the same way. But specific problems should be addressed similarly, such that one learner facing difficulty in a given environment isn’t given less of a chance to overcome the problem than another student facing the same situation within a different institution.

It will be fascinating to see what impact ISO 21001 ultimately has on educational institutions over time. Less than two years into the standards’ availability, it’s a little bit too soon to make a determination. But the practices and potential benefits outlined above make it clear why standards like these are worth exploring.

About The Author

Jorine Bibi is an environmental blogger. She hopes that her articles provide her readers with information on what the world can do to reduce its energy use. She also believes that if we don’t address the issue of climate change soon it will be too late. In her free time, she likes to tend to her garden.

Written by: Narendra Sahoo

Organizations seeking a high level of security and protection for their IT Infrastructure are advised to achieve ISO 27001 certification. ISO 27001 is a globally-recognized standard that organizations use as a benchmark to audit and certify their Information Security Management System (ISMS). Achieving ISO 27001 certification simply demonstrates that the organization has a robust management framework in place to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the organization’s IT infrastructure. But when the organization commits to this standard of excellence, ensuring continuous compliance is critical. Conducting a thorough Assessment and Gap analysis of the organization’s IT Infrastructure and its ISO 27001 Compliance requires commitment and exceptional expertise. In today’s article, we discuss what an ISO27001 Gap Analysis is and why it is an essential part of the ISO 27001 Audit process. So, let us first quickly understand what an ISO 27001 Gap Analysis is.

What is an ISO 27001 Gap Analysis?

An ISO 27001 Gap Analysis also known sometimes as Compliance Assessment or Pre-Assessment is an assessment that provides a high-level overview of your organization’s current security posture. The assessment and report serve as a guide to organizations for achieving ISO 27001 certification.  The assessment involves comparing the organization’s existing information security controls against the requirements of ISO 27001. The Gap Analysis measures the current state of compliance against the Standard and also scopes the organization’s ISMS parameters across all business functions. Itprovides companies with the necessary information and recommendations of controls that may need to be implemented to close the gaps. The Gap Analysis helps companies understand the best way to improve and streamline their internal information security management systems to ensure they meet the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard.

When is an ISO 27001 Gap Analysis performed?

An ISO 27001 Gap Analysis is a professional assessment that is performed between stage 1 and stage 2 of the ISO 27001 Audit process. The assessment helps bridge the gap between stage 1 and stage 2 of the ISO 27001 Audit. The objective is to ensure that any ISMS gaps that were identified in stage 1 are addressed appropriately.It further helps companies prepare for stage 2 and the ISO 27001 certification process. It is important to note that a gap analysis is mandatory in ISO 27001,but only after an organization has developed its Statement of Applicability. It details the security posture on each of the 114 information security controls that are outlined in Annex A of ISO 27001.So, ISO 27001 gap analysis should be performed only for the controls from Annex A of the ISO 27001 standard and is also done before the start of ISO 27001 implementation to get a perspective on the current standing of the organization and the quantum of work involved.

What to expect from an ISO 27001 Gap Analysis?

Companies hire professional consultancies to perform the ISO 27001 gap analysis. During this course of analysis, the auditors will assess the existing information security processes, procedures, and documentation of the organization and compare these against the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard. This is done to identify areas that require improvement in their existing information security processes and procedures. The report of the analysis performed will highlight deficits in systems against the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard, and further help address the identified issues. Conducted by an ISO 27001 specialist, the analysis gives a detailed assessment and analysis report detailing the findings which include:

• The current state and maturity of the information security processes and procedures.
• The compliance gaps as against the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard.
• The scope of the organization’s ISMS.
• Details about the internal resource requirements for achieving compliance.
• An outline plan of action indicating the level of effort required to implement ISO 27001.
• The tentative timeline to achieve certification readiness.

What are the benefits of an ISO 27001 Gap Analysis?

• You will get an overview of the organization’s current security posture against the requirements of ISO 27001.
• It guides the organization in its efforts to achieve ISO 27001 certification.
• The gap analysis scopes your ISMS parameters across all business functions.
• The analysis gives clarity on what needs to be included in the scope of ISMS and controls that need to be implemented
• Helps estimate the resources and budgetary needs of the ISO 27001 project.
• Ensures translation of cybersecurity into business policies procedures and framework.  
• The valuable insight obtained from the analysis enables the organization to plan a strategic roadmap for the implementation of necessary cybersecurity controls.
• It also provides you with a potential timeline for achieving ISO 27001 certification.
• The gap analysis will help the organization get closer to achieving the accredited certification.

Final thought

For those organizations looking to seek high-level security for their IT infrastructure must comply with the ISO 27001 and perform a Gap Analysis. It allows you to benchmark the organization’s existing policies and controls against the ISO 27001 standard. It will allow you to identify gap areas in the organization’s processes, policies, and controls and highlight weak areas in the system. So, to strengthen the organization’s security posture, businesses should consider performing an ISO 27001 audit and gap analysis to develop a strong business case for implementing an ISO 27001-compliant ISMS.

Author Bio

Narendra Sahoo (PCI QSA, PCI QPA, CISSP, CISA, and CRISC) is the Founder and Director of VISTA InfoSec, a global Information Security Consulting firm, based in the US, Singapore & India. Mr. Sahoo holds more than 25 years of experience in the IT Industry, with expertise in Information Risk Consulting, Assessment, & Compliance services. VISTA InfoSec specializes in Information Security audit, consulting and certification services which include GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, NESA, MAS-TRM, PCI DSS Compliance & Audit, PCI PIN, SOC2, PDPA, PDPB to name a few. The company has for years (since 2004) worked with organizations across the globe to address the Regulatory and Information Security challenges in their industry. VISTA InfoSec has been instrumental in helping top multinational companies achieve compliance and secure their IT infrastructure.

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