ISO standards as a tool, not a goal

ISO 27001 certification for information management: should you go for it or not? Many organizations hesitate. ‘Just another standard, just like ISO 9001. And probably only for the customer’s file…’ Recognizable?

Yet we at LeanForms look at it differently. For us, ISO standards are not an end in themselves, but a practical tool. We would like to show you how we approach this from our vision of business and quality management.

 

ISO as a starting point for smarter working

LeanForms was born out of a need for better information management. Away with the proliferation of Excel files, loose documents and unfindable forms. One of our founders has been involved in quality managementfor more than 30 years and sees standards as an aid to designing processes smarter, not as an obligation or burden.

Above all, a business management system should contribute to:

• Working more efficiently
• Securing agreements and processes
• Understanding risks and areas for improvement

From practice, not standard

Our approach? We start from our existing practices and then test them against the standard. Not the other way around. This keeps the system close to practice and recognizable by everyone in the organization. That is why we do not speak of a quality management system, but of a business management system with ISO standards as a reference.

In practice, organizations often already meet 90% of the requirements from a standard such as ISO 9001 or ISO 27001. By looking at what is already going well, you can optimize step by step without adding unnecessary ballast.

Standardizing we call harmonizing

Why have we certified for ISO 9001 and ISO 27001? Not because of the certificate, but because we are growing as an organization. And growth requires clear agreements and a joint working method.

At LeanForms, we involve all employees in the process. They have the knowledge and experience that we want to secure. Working together creates awareness and involvement. Our management system is therefore:

• Not a paper document, but a digital, living system
• In use every day in practice
• Accessible to everyone via LeanBMS

External guidance as a critical mirror

‘The butcher inspects his own meat’ is a risk we want to avoid. This is why we deliberately chose external guidance during our ISO process. Not only to test objectively, but also to prevent blind spots. A fresh, independent view from outside helps us to remain realistic and to make good choices in terms of content.

The first steps to ISO certification

Are you considering getting started with ISO 9001 or ISO 27001 yourself? Then this is important to know:

• A standard is not a blueprint; it’s about what is and isn’t relevant to your organization
• Be well informed about the content and impact of the standard
• First, map out existing processes and agreements
• Use external support where necessary to ensure structure and progress

We document our system using LeanBMS, a tool that allows you to directly digitally secure the management system and make it accessible to everyone.

ISO certification support

Want to start an ISO process without feeling like you’re drowning in paperwork? Our consultants are happy to help you with a step-by-step approach in which your organization and processes are central. With the right guidance and smart software, ISO certification is not a goal, but a logical consequence of good management.