SETTING THE STANDARD
There seems to be a business standard for everything these days: quality, safety, environment, tying your shoelaces (ok maybe not). It makes you wonder what kind of person would want to become an auditor. I’d imagine the same kind of person that might happily cancel a hot date to fill out their tax return or would look forward to visiting the dentist. Has anyone ever had a fun evening with an auditor? The answer is “probably not”. It wouldn’t be for you to decide whether it had been a success anyway, you’d have to wait for the fifty-page report to find out.
I was flicking through the TV channels last week when I saw an episode of the Simpsons where it’s time for the annual health inspection at Moe’s Tavern. Moe and the inspector are old friends and everything is going fine until he tests the quality of the bar snacks and eats a dodgy-looking pickled egg. He grimaces, grabs his chest and then drops dead. Luckily our recent audit for the ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Standard went slightly better.
I am delighted to report that everyone’s hard work has paid off and we have been recommended for certification (fingers crossed!). Amongst other things, the standard requires controls to be implemented to reduce the risk of security threats, and to avoid system weaknesses being exploited.
The ISO standards (International Organisation for Standardisation) are recognised and respected worldwide. We are currently working towards ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Standard) which encourages companies to protect the environment, prevent pollution, and improve overall environment performance.
It isn’t just about becoming certified though. thebigword is committed to embedding these standards in our everyday operations to ensure that we consistently deliver the highest quality language services.
The ISO’s share a common focus on continuous business improvement which is central to maintaining efficient, standardised processes across our global offices as we continue to grow. This is what makes the ISO’s integral to our progression as a worldwide company.
Having said that, it’s natural to feel a little terrified by the thought of audits! Just make sure you’re not the person frantically scrambling around for sign-off forms the day before an inspection or worrying that you haven’t completed the relevant eLearning module. Being even nicer than usual and smiling a lot won’t do any harm; just remember not to hold the door open for people (if you don’t know which ISO that contravenes, look it up!).
Have a great weekend,
Larry
I was flicking through the TV channels last week when I saw an episode of the Simpsons where it’s time for the annual health inspection at Moe’s Tavern. Moe and the inspector are old friends and everything is going fine until he tests the quality of the bar snacks and eats a dodgy-looking pickled egg. He grimaces, grabs his chest and then drops dead. Luckily our recent audit for the ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Standard went slightly better.
I am delighted to report that everyone’s hard work has paid off and we have been recommended for certification (fingers crossed!). Amongst other things, the standard requires controls to be implemented to reduce the risk of security threats, and to avoid system weaknesses being exploited.
The ISO standards (International Organisation for Standardisation) are recognised and respected worldwide. We are currently working towards ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Standard) which encourages companies to protect the environment, prevent pollution, and improve overall environment performance.
It isn’t just about becoming certified though. thebigword is committed to embedding these standards in our everyday operations to ensure that we consistently deliver the highest quality language services.
The ISO’s share a common focus on continuous business improvement which is central to maintaining efficient, standardised processes across our global offices as we continue to grow. This is what makes the ISO’s integral to our progression as a worldwide company.
Having said that, it’s natural to feel a little terrified by the thought of audits! Just make sure you’re not the person frantically scrambling around for sign-off forms the day before an inspection or worrying that you haven’t completed the relevant eLearning module. Being even nicer than usual and smiling a lot won’t do any harm; just remember not to hold the door open for people (if you don’t know which ISO that contravenes, look it up!).
Have a great weekend,
Larry
