10 Common Compliance Questions Answered

Reaching compliance can benefit just about any business, of any size, in any industry. However, not every business knows what ‘reaching compliance’ actually involves. Below we outline 10 common compliance questions, from relevant standards to the financial cost of becoming certified:

1. What is a standard?

According to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), “a standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.”

It’s a mouthful, we know. But in short, a standard is a written set of criteria that outlines industry best-practice.

How many ISO standards are there? There are a staggering number of standards outlined by ISO – around 22,000 to be exact. They cover everything from quality management systems to data security and sustainability.

2. What does ‘becoming compliant’ mean?

Reaching compliance means you have accurately and consistently implemented the systems, processes and requirements specified by a particular standard. Whether or not your business operates in-line with the criteria of a particular standard is determined by a certification body.

If your business does in fact operate in compliance with a standard, you can become certified to that standard. This has a number of practical business benefits, from tendering for bigger and better projects (if you are a construction business, for example), to inspiring customer confidence and driving business growth.

However, it’s important to note that implementing industry best-practice in your business is a highly involved process. That’s where compliance consultants like us come in – to ensure your business can begin to enjoy the benefits of compliance certification as soon as possible

3. Does my business need to be compliance certified?

Popular standards like the international standard for quality management, ISO 9001:2015, have become increasingly necessary for a wide range of businesses. To use the construction industry as an example, compliance certification with the ISO 9001 standard is often a requirement to even tender for government projects.

However, certification is not technically required. It’s recommended that all businesses operate to the international standard for quality management, however even those who do so aren’t required to become certified.

In saying that, the diverse benefits of compliance certification should be enough for all businesses to consider becoming certified. Certification will establish your business as an industry leader, inspire customer and client confidence, and give you a competitive edge in a saturated market.

4. What standards are relevant to my business?

With so many ISO standards available, it’s hard to know which ones are relevant to your business. However, there are a few popular standards that are of great value to businesses of all size and in any industry.

ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard for quality management. Over one million businesses in 170 countries around the world are certified to ISO 9001, and these span all types of industries. The benefits of following the quality management standard include;

• Improving systems and processes to cut costs and drive efficiency
• Increase customer satisfaction and confidence
• Market your business in a competitive industry

We’ve assisted hundreds of Australian business to become compliant with other popular standards, including the international standard for environmental management, ISO 14001, and the international standard for information security management, ISO 27001.

5. What are the risks of not being compliant?

Just as becoming compliant has several business benefits, noncompliance can put your business at risk in several ways.

Businesses who aren’t compliant can face financial losses, legal issues, damages to reputation and poor staff retention should their systems and processes be called into question.

Take for example the well-documented horse meat scandal that slammed Europe in 2013. Several companies in the food industry went into damage control after their products were found to be contaminated with horse meat due to lapses in quality control. Some industry commentators pointed to failed quality management systems as direct causes of the contamination.

6. What is ISO?

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 163 national standards bodies.

According to their website, ISO “brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.”

It’s important to note that ISO is responsible for developing standards, and does not certify businesses.

7. How does the compliance process work?

Reaching compliance can be a multi-disciplinary process, and is achieved a little differently for all businesses. At Compliance Council, our specialised consultants have developed an 8-Step process that can guarantee compliance in as little as 8 weeks.

The 8-step begins with a unique gap analysis, in order to identify where your business currently does not comply with a standard. This is followed by a consultation workshop to understand the ins and outs of your business, creating system documents tailored to your business, then engaging a third-party to conduct a stage 1 certification audit.

To read more about each stage of our 8-step process, you can view our diagram here.

8. How much does it cost to become compliant?

The size of the financial investment in becoming compliance certified depends on a number of factors. The size of your business, the industry you work in, the current state of your systems and processes and the number of staff you employ are all impact the time it will take to implement industry best-practice.

9. How long does it usually take to become certified?

Reaching compliance to a standard doesn’t happen overnight. Depending on the size of your business, your industry and the current state of your systems and processes, implementing best-practices can be a time-consuming investment.

Compliance consultants usually say they can ensure your business operates to a standard in 6 to 12 months. However, the signature Compliance Council 8-Step process is specially designed by experienced compliance professionals to streamline this process, allowing your business to become certified in as little as 8 weeks.

10. Where do I start?

At Compliance Council, we’ve assisted hundreds of Australian businesses of all shapes and sizes to drive growth by reaching compliance. We’re humbled to say that with the great work of our consultants, each one of these businesses has succeeded in reaching compliance and becoming formally certified by an independent certification body.

To get in touch with a Compliance Council compliance consultant, or for more information on reaching ISO 9001 compliance, leave us a message below.