In her opening comment, Fadilah Baharin, CEO of Department of Standards Malaysia, the ISO member for the country, highlights how ISO standards serve as a barometer by which customers, potential business partners and employees evaluate you and your business.
“I believe standards instil trust. Standards are no longer about product differentiation but about creating a uniform experience that gives your customers confidence in your products and services. The differentiation and marketing edge now lies in how successfully your brand or organization has been able to build and nurture consumer relationships that are sustainable, solely by promising the same ‘quality’ and ‘experience’ every single time.”
According to the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer, published by independent public relations firm Edelman, the reason trust in business has increased is because companies produce economic growth, contribute to the greater good and allow people to be productive members of society. That said, two of the 16 trust-building leadership attributes cited in the report raise pertinent questions, namely whether CEOs place a premium on offering high-quality products and services, and whether they are focused on driving innovation and introducing new products, services or ideas.
So what are some of the issues affected by trust? How can ISO standards help? And which changes/improvements are poised to make the biggest impact? In a comprehensive selection of articles, we spoke to a number of experts to get their input on a handful of subjects, including:
- Putting trust back in forensic science (“The mystery of the Phantom of Heilbronn”)
- Battling food fraud (“Do you trust the food you eat?”)
- Making child play safe (“Combatting toy-related injuries”)
- Safe-proofing the used goods market (“What to expect when buying second-hand goods”)
We also spoke to industry leaders on how conformity assessment (testing, inspection and certification) builds confidence and asked them to share the developments they’re most excited about. Here, the experts highlight some of the main features of ISO/IEC 17025 and how the standard is key for increasing customer confidence and trust.
If you’re thinking about using ISO standards or want to discover how they instil trust, look no further than the latest ISOfocus.
