The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government department that regulates the medical devices sector, announced its intention to use ISO 13485 as the basis for its quality system legislation. ISO 13485, Medical devices — Quality management systems — Requirements for regulatory purposes, is the International Standard for quality management systems [...]
We are all suffocating in the heat of global warming, as the recent European heatwave lays testament to – and it may soon become the norm. A study showed that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise as they do, by 2100 74 % of the world’s population will be exposed to [...]
Reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency are at the forefront of the global climate change agenda. ISO 50001, the flagship International Standard for improving energy performance, has just been updated. Energy consumption is on the rise, despite the fact that it contributes to nearly 60 % of the world’s greenhouse gas [...]
Space is all the rage, so it seems. The number of small spacecraft – including satellites – being manufactured has rocketed in recent years, and future forecasts are equally explosive. The first-ever internationally agreed requirements have just been published, enabling the industry to cruise even higher. The small satellites industry is taking off. [...]
An organization’s greatest asset is its employees, but the impact that new recruits have on a company’s success is sometimes less clear. Or is it? New international guidelines have just been published that give recruiters a metric to measure just how well they have done. When it comes to recruitment, [...]
sea over summer, safety onboard – and overboard – is under the spotlight. International guidelines for the effectiveness of sea anchors for rescue boats have just been updated. When we climb aboard any kind of boat or ship, we don’t often think of the lifeboat hanging off the side. While [...]
We all know that retaining loyal, happy customers is the key to any successful business, but the fickle consumer world is not always easy to please. A series of guidelines has just been published, bringing together international best practice on customer satisfaction. From handling complaints to service with a smile, [...]
Passports have come a long way since the days of clunky hand-written books and long(er) immigration queues. These days, the technology is as slick as the security is strict. Ensuring machine-readable passports work effectively and last their lifetime is therefore a rigorous procedure. ISO and IEC internationally recognized test-method guidelines [...]
In order to effectively transform business ideas into actions, you need a plan. A quality plan. Guidance on how to create one has just been updated, providing a powerful tool to complement any quality management system, including ISO 9001. Producing something – whether it be a product, service, process or project – always [...]
In our hyper-connected, technology driven world, data breaches and cyber-attacks remain a significant threat to organizations, and a lack of awareness of the risks is often to blame1). A newly revised standard will help. Protecting the security of a company’s information – whether it be commercially sensitive or the personal details [...]