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ISO knowledge

All about ISO: concepts and key standards

An introduction to ISO management systems: the terms worth knowing, the types of audit, and the main families of standards.

General terms

Management system
The set of interrelated or interacting elements of an organisation used to establish policies, objectives and processes to achieve those objectives. It includes structure, roles and responsibilities, planning and operation.
Requirement
A need or expectation that is stated, generally implied or obligatory. A specified requirement is one that is stated, for example in documented information.
Nonconformity
Non-fulfilment of a requirement.

Audit, internal audit and external audit

Audit
A systematic, independent examination to determine whether activities and results comply with established arrangements, and whether those arrangements are implemented effectively.
Internal audit
A systematic review of the documentation and implementation of the management system, carried out at the organisation's own initiative. It can be performed by competent in-house staff or by an external auditor.
External audit
A review of the system carried out by the certification body in order to issue or maintain the certificate.

The main ISO standards

These are the most common management system standards. Each guide explains what the standard is and how it works.

How an ISO standard is certified

  1. 01

    Implement the system

    Define processes, document what is necessary and train the team.

  2. 02

    Internal audit

    Verify that the system complies and works in practice.

  3. 03

    Certification audit

    An independent certification body audits the system.

  4. 04

    Maintenance

    Surveillance audits and improvement throughout the certification cycle.