Free orientation session on '21 Popular ISO Standards for Businesses'

Hyderabad, October 14, 2016: On the occasion of World Standards Day on 14th October , ODC Standards Certifications, a city based Standards Specialist organisation organised a free orientation session on "21 Popular ISO Standards for Businesses" here in city on Friday 14th October at FTAPCCI Auditorium(formerly FAPCCI), Lakdikapul, Hyderabad.

Speaking on the occasion addressing the 60 participants, a standards expert, P. Seshadri of ODC Standards Certifications said, awareness for standards is very low in India. Only 5 to 10 per cent of companies go for standards. That only big companies. Awareness for standards in SME sector is very low informed, Seshadri.

We have about 350 Certification bodies across the globe. And in Hyderabad, about 25 standards companies exist. It is quite disappointing to note that many companies go for Standards Certifications only to get qualified in Tendering processes. But, are actually not interested in implementing standards.

ODC Standards Certifications has issued nearly 2000 certifications in the last ten years. Some of these companies we worked with include GMR Airports, ICICI Knowledge Park, GVK Bio Sciences, L&T Info City,DGQA—Defence General Quality Assurance, RCI Kanchanbagh, Railways etc said Seshadri.

Opting standards is not a costly affair. It will be a one time investment, he said. Once you acquire industry standards specific to your industry, image of the company goes, productivity too goes up, he said.

67 per cent of energy is consumed by industries and residencies consume just 17 per cent of energy. Hence, companies need to go for ISO 50001 Energy Certification, he said. ISO has released 1000 stanards. But, only 25 standards are famous in India, he said.

Many companies who fall under CSR Category because of the recent changes in Companies act needs to go for ISO-26000 certification

Governments too should go for standards and stand as an example to the private sector. Particularly like ISO 39001 Road Traffic Safecty Certification, said Seshagiri..Unfortunately not a single State Government has gone in for this certification. This will help reduce accidents. This makes road a safe journey, he said. Only Sweden has gone in for this certification.

Awareness for standards is more in Sweden, USA, Germany, Japan. he said.

Nearly 50 per cent of the total of 700 Engineering colleges have gone for the National Board Accreditation. Awareness for standards certification is very high in Engineering Colleges, he informed

The Awareness for HACCP, Food Safety Certification is very poor in India. A handful of companies have gone in for this certification, he said.

The theme for World Standards Day 2016 is “Standards Build Trust".

World Standards Day is celebrated troughout the world. Conferences, exhibitions, seminars, TV and radio interviews take place annually on or around 14 October. The goal of World Standards Day is to raise awareness of the importance of global standardization to the world economy and to promote its role in helping meet the needs of business, industry, government, and consumers worldwide informed P. Seshadri of ODC Standards Certifications.

Speaking further P. Sehadri added that the partial list of twenty one ISO Standards include management of Risk, Supply Chain, Medical Devices, Food Safety, Environment, Occupational Health & Safety, Assets, Learning Services, Sustainable Event, Laboratories, Energy, Business Continuity etc.

There is no registration fees for participation. It is targeted at Industries who may nominate their representatives for participation. The Participants will learn about 21 ISO standards, its key implementation guidelines and the benefits which could be explored by an organisation.

ISO Standards define the best practices for industries in form of management system requirements. This requirement when implemented by an organisation enables a business to meet the expectations of stakeholders, he added.

A product or service conforming to an international standard is imbued with a trusted symbol of quality, safety or compatibility. Standards speak to the diversity of our interconnected world, introducing uniformity at the interfaces where we need to be certain that we are speaking on the same terms.

Standards help to keep our homes, public buildings, playgrounds, electrical appliances, and health services safe. They help protect our environment, increase productivity, and drive innovation, Seshadri informed

World Standards Day began as a celebration of the birth of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which held its first meeting in London on October 14, 1946. From an initial roster of 25 countries, ISO (based in Geneva, Switzerland) now has 123 member nations and has evolved into the global clearinghouse for all standards activities.

World Standards Day on 14 October pays tribute to the thousands of men and women all over the world who develop voluntary standards for the advancement and welfare of societies. It also provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the benefits that standards bring to our everyday lives, the market economy, and to the smooth running of public affairs.

14 October was specifically chosen to mark the date, in 1946, when delegates from 25 countries first gathered in London and decided to create an international organization focused on facilitating standardization. Even though ISO was formed one year later, it wasn't until 1970 that the first World Standards Day was celebrated.