{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"#165 What is isology? How to Implement any ISO Standard","description":" We have over 18 years experience of implementing various ISO\u2019s, covering a wide range of topics such as Quality, Sustainability, Information Security and Risk. With a 100% success rate, we\u2019re confident in our consistent approach to implementing ISO\u2019s, so much so that we\u2019ve coined our own unique methodology.   Our regular listeners may be familiar with the term \u2018isology\u2019 from previous episodes referencing our online platform \u2013 the isologyhub. But what is isology exactly? Put simply, isology is our 7-step method for implementing any ISO Standard. Join Mel this week as she breaks down each of the 7 steps, including the planning, creation and review of an ISO Management System. You\u2019ll learn \u00b7       Our experience implementing ISO\u2019s \u00b7       The origin of isology \u00b7       What is isology? \u00b7       The seven steps of isology   Resources \u00b7       Isologyhub \u00b7       Isology synopsis   In this episode, we talk about: [00:25] Episode Summary \u2013 Mel Blackmore will be explaining our world leading methodology to implement any ISO Standard, which we\u2019ve affectionately named \u2018Isology\u2019. [00:45] The creation of isology: We\u2019ve been implementing ISO Standards for 18 years, starting with ISO 9001 and have since expanded our repertoire to over 20 ISO Standards covering risk, sustainability, quality and Information Security. The creation of the isology methodology has been a team effort from all of the consultants who have worked with Blackmores over the years, and is primarily built on best practice. [01:35] Step 1: Plan \u2013 Get a copy of the Standard, determine your scope, timescales, leadership commitment, resources and selecting a Certification Body. Timescales: This is typically around 6 months, but could be longer or shorter depending on your specific requirements. Resources: As an example, if you were looking to obtain ISO 14001 certification, you may need to appoint a sustainability champion. For ISO 27001 you\u2019ll need a representative from the IT department. Selecting a Certification Body: Ensure whichever Certification Body you choose is UKAS accredited. You can check this on the UKAS website. International listeners will need to verify on your country\u2019s national accreditation body website.   [03:45] Step 2: Discover \u2013 Time to understand what you have in place already and what you\u2019re missing \u2013 this is done through a Gap Analysis. This will often involve an initial meeting with the leadership team to establish what you already have in place, i.e. relevant policies and procedures or any relevant objectives. We break this down step-by-step and document it all in a Gap Analysis, which will deduce your current level of compliance. From this an action plan can be created to indicate what needs to be done to become fully compliant, including assigning roles to assist with the Implementation. [05:30] Step 3: Expose - This is where we look at risks and opportunities related to your desired Standard (both internally and externally). This is typically done through a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and PESTLE (Policital, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Ethical). In this stage you will also need to understand the key requirements of any relevant stakeholders, so this can include clients, subcontractors, regulatory bodies ect. A Risk Register may be created to capture the findings to be addressed later. Some ISO\u2019s require a Risk Register, others don\u2019t, but in our experience it\u2019s beneficial to have one regardless. Companies are also encouraged to create a Legal Register to keep track of all their statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements. [07:50] Step 4: Create \u2013 Time to review the requirements of the Standard in terms of documentation \u2013 and create what\u2019s needed. This includes capturing your way of working with documented Procedures, so make sure you have the relevant staff involved in their creation. Something to remember, you can have additional policy statements that aren\u2019t required by the Standard. If they are important to you, add them in! We\u2019re in a modern age now, gone are the days of paper manuals gathering dust on an office shelf. Software and applications may be where the bulk of your Management System documentation lives. For example, at Blackmores we use a combination of Monday.com and SharePoint to manage all of our day-to-day activities, including our own ISO 9001 compliant Management System. The key here is to make your Management System accessible for everyone. [10:20] Step 5: Launch  \u2013 Once the Management System has found its home, you need to communicate it. Consider the type of launch you want and who will be involved. Make sure you encourage engagement with the Management System. Why should you Launch your Management System? Quite simply, there isn\u2019t much point in having controls in your business if no one knows about them! We have 2 key ways of supporting you with the launch of your Management system: 1)    We can run an awareness session on your Management System either in person or via Teams. It can then be recorded and used as refresher \/ induction training. 2)    Get access to the isologyhub \u2013 out online platform with a suite of over 200 ISO courses, training, tools and templates. [12:15] Step 6: Engage - After the launch you want to ensure that employees are fully engaged and they actually not only are aware of the policies and procedures that you've got in place, but they're actively using them. The only way to verify this is through Internal Audits \u2013 that\u2019s not just our opinion, that\u2019s a mandatory requirement of any ISO Standard. We can assist with conducting these Internal Audits, which double up as a dummy run ahead of your assessment visits. These audits are essentially a show and tell exercise to gather evidence that you\u2019re doing what you say your doing. [13:55] Step 7: Review - Time to take a step back and look at what\u2019s been achieved and what\u2019s been highlighted as areas for improvement through your Internal Audits. This is done at what we call a Management Review. These are typically conducted as meetings, but they don\u2019t have to be a meeting specifically. We\u2019ve done a podcast covering other ways to conduct this review. At this Management Review you will collate data on the performance of your business in relation to the ISO Standard. The minutes must be recorded, as your Assessor will expect to see these as it\u2019s a mandatory requirement of any ISO Standard. If you\u2019d like to learn more about what\u2019s involved with a Stage 1 and 2 Assessment, go back and listen to a previous episode. If you\u2019d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we\u2019d be happy to give you a tour. We\u2019d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here\u2019s how: \u25cf      Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin \u25cf      Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List ","author_name":"The ISO Show","author_url":"https:\/\/blackmoresuk.com","html":"