International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops and publishes international standards that regulate various aspects of business activities. ISO focuses mainly on developing quality standards relating to safety in the workplace, management systems, IT security, safety in the workplace, environmental management, and the quality of food and energy.
ISO 14001 is a quality standard regarding environmental management system. One may ask why an environmental quality standard would be important for the clients of electronics services providers. Well, here is why!
ISO 14001 – what is it all about?
The main focus of this certificate is to identify waste in the whole electronics process and to implement a dependable system of handling that waste. Ecology is something that should concern all of us but unfortunately most of the time it is not on the mind of everyone. So why would anyone care about ISO 14001 certificate? Well, here is the answer: driving down waste helps saving money in the making process and increases the profit. And that is something that is profitable for both electronics services providers and their potential clients. Needless to say, reducing an environmental impact is, of course, also beneficial for the entire planet.
Identifying waste according to ISO 14001
The waste, according to ISO 14001, should be identified in three stages – pre-production, production, and post-production. An environmental management system is something that considers the whole lifecycle of the product – not only one part of the process, for example, manufacturing.
Consequently, an EMS provider is obliged to make sure that all of the supply chains of the company are on the same page. It applies to both finished goods and raw materials that are obtained from other sources for the needs of the company.
Not only have that but an EMS provider had to plan what can be done when the product is no longer of use. That means, among other things, planning the future recycling process, increasing recyclability during the production, and implementing a system of handling the disposal of damaged and/or returned goods.
Concerning the stage of electronics production, an EMS provider can do so much more! Improving the management system of the company’s activities revolving around the production line generates the highest profits. For example, when examining the production line with a closer look, one may find that there is some unnecessary machinery or outdated technology that requires a lot of resources. On the other hand, proper training of new employees can also have a huge impact on reducing waste.
Why choose a company with an ISO 14001 certificate?
From the perspective of a client, outsourcing an EMS provider with an ISO 14001 certificate is very beneficial. Every company with a highly functioning management system is focused on fulfilling the needs of their clients. The manufacturing process of such companies is known to be well thought-through and handled quickly, involving little to no errors. Those aspects combined with a competitive price make such companies the most cost-efficient.
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