What is ISO 14001?

• The ISO 14000 family of international standards provide guidelines for organizations looking to manage their environmental impact, ISO 14001 is the standard that helps you design and implement an Environmental Management System. The framework is designed to monitor and improve the way organizations use and dispose of natural resources as well as reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

• The standard is generic, meaning it is applicable to organizations of any size and in any industry. From a big manufacturing unit hoping to reduce their waste to a small office that’s looking to reduce on gas and electricity use, the standard is suitable for all.

• An ISO 14001 certification shows an organizational sincerity to the environment and a more efficient, conscious use of the resources of this planet.

• If you are searching for the best ways to improve the environmentally friendly practices, create more efficient systems and workflows, or increase employee efficiency? Or maybe you require an internationally recognized standard to win a new tender, new clients or to starve the competition?

• Regardless of what you’re looking for, Universal ISO expert will assist you through how an ISO 14001 management system standard can put your company on a path to success in business.

What are the benefits of ISO 14001?

1. Legal Compliances Fulfillment

Being an ISO 14001 certified company, allows you to understand your compliance obligations in relation to the latest environmental legislation and other requirements by providing a systematic approach to meeting current and identifying future regulations. By keeping abreast of your legal duties, you reduce the risk of prosecution and bad press that can come with environmental breaches.

2. Reduction in Operating Cost.

ISO 14001 aligns your internal processes. This improved efficiency contains costs and saves you money, whilst also improving accountability and traceability, allowing you to tackle problems better and quicker.

3. Reduction in Waste

Are Assets and machineries running unnecessarily? Are there certain processes that produce a lot of plastic waste? By streamlining your environmental processes, ISO 14001 identifies and mitigates waste by highlighting more suitable renewable energy sources and energy-saving processes that result in a more sustainable, efficient organization. Use less and save more.

Do you find you lose time to inefficient processes and poor communication between teams? Efficiency also improves staff motivation. With greater clarity and focus on business objectives, time and resources are spent on what really matters to the business.

4. Competitive advantages

Better internal processes and customer service ultimately improve your market competitiveness, leading to higher profit potential.

5. Customer Reputation Improvement

As the climate situation worsens, more and more businesses are making the switch to sustainable practices in line with consumer trends. Getting ISO 14001 certified impresses existing customers and clients as it demonstrates your active commitment to corporate and social responsibility.

6. New market penetration

Having poor customer retention or missing important deadlines can be detrimental to your operation, but ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized mark of environmental management system. Becoming certified for ISO 14001 can open your business up to larger clients, both at home and overseas.

7. Continual improvement
the most important element of the standard is that this is not a one-off exercise. Regular reviews keep quality at the top of the business, and that quality will keep your business improving.

Steps to getting ISO 14001 certification

The process of getting ISO 14001 certified with Universal ISO is a trouble-free step-by-step approach.

1. Initial consultation
   We help you setting your objectives, focusing on what your business wants to achieve and how it defines success, specific in relation to your clients’ requirements. Together, you and our ISO specialist consultant will agree reasonable outcomes and delivery dates.

2. Preparing your organization’s ISO 14001 documents
   Next, the Universal ISO Consultant will the gap analysis for existing procedures and help you document the new systems that will help deliver success – both existing and how you will improve these. This manual and procedures confirm how your business should operate going forward so that it can deliver Quality Management System ISO 14001.

3. Training you to implement the ISO 14001 standard
   While the QMS documents are important document moving forward, it is even more important that it is placed to implement. We work with the top management team to ensure the ongoing framework is adopted throughout your organization.  We also develop and deliver customized training for staff to ensure understanding and implementation of ISO 14001 is meaningful. This will create consistency across your organization, transforming your business from day one so it is optimized for efficiency, continual improvement and greater profitability.

4. Audit by an external certification body
   Before you can be awarded the ISO 14001 certification, your organization applies to the third-party certifying body that you have selected to conduct your audit. This audit is an objective view on whether your business is conforming to ISO 14001. As we will have provided excellent support and guidance to your business every step of the way, you can be assured that your ISO 14001 will be successful.

5. ISO 14001 awarded
   Once confirmed that you are ISO 14001 compliant, your organization will be issued with the certificate. This international certification will be recognized by current, potential and future clients as a mark of EMS.