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Logistics companies need to emphasise the ISO standards because they help to ensure their services are reliable, efficient, and quality centric. Logistics activities which include warehousing, storage, and transportation are the support system of every other dominant sector in an economy. This blog particularly focuses on the certifications required by warehousing companies or service providers.

The ISO certification for warehouse services is necessary to demonstrate that the company has systematic management approaches to ensure the efficiency of their storage facilities, operations, as well as human resources.

Since the warehousing sector is an integral sector interrelated with other sectors, demand for its services is growing consistently along with economic development or growth. Warehousing is basically the process of storing raw materials, heavy equipment, and products before they are distributed to their users or sellers in the market. Thus, competition in the warehousing sector is rising too as various business activities and productions are scaling up with economic prosperity. In such a backdrop, achieving the ISO standard(s) will put your warehousing company in a competitive position and provide you with more opportunities than before.

The following section shares some brief information about the crucial standards that your warehousing business should get to improve services and stand out in the competition.

4 Key ISO Certifications for Warehouse Company & What Makes Them Relevant

Getting certified with these few ISO standards will provide many benefits to your warehousing company. Find out how.

ISO 9001

This is the globally recognised and the most implemented standard for quality management which applies to warehouse companies too. The standard outlines the requirements and practices for businesses to establish a structured Quality Management System (QMS). The QMS shall help them to streamline and manage their process, improve operational efficiency, reduce risks or mistakes, and deliver superior quality services.

Clearly, achieving this standard will be a benchmark for your warehouse company. With the certification, you can demonstrate your commitment to providing quality services consistently regarding storage, as well as management of inflow and outflow of goods. Thus, it will help you to get more potential clients and retain the existing ones.

ISO 14001

This is the standard for environmental management which applies to businesses of all types or sizes and defines the best practices for implementing and maintaining the Environmental Management System (EMS). Achieving this ISO environmental management standard ensures that your company is effectively managing the environmental consequences of its storage, distribution activities, and is minimising their impact on humans, living habitats, natural resources, and society.

When your warehouse company gets this specific environmental certification, it will create as a sheer distinction for your company, making it more recognisable. Environmental management is regarded as a priority aspect in business today when impacts such as pollution, climate change, etc. are on rise. Warehousing and transportation activities are inevitably responsible for certain impacts like greenhouse gas emissions and excessive energy consumption (for maintaining preferred storage conditions).

Therefore, by achieving the certification, you can demonstrate that your warehouse has the EMS and proper practices in place to remain environmentally responsible while providing its services efficiently.

ISO 45001

Most of the work related to the warehouse operations are riskier. The handling of heavy equipment and forklift, working in extreme conditions like cold, heat, or pressure, and exposure to indoor pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc. pose serious threats to the health of workers in a warehouse. This makes this standard for occupational health and safety management system a prerequisite for your company to ensure employees’ safety.

Achieving the standard implies that your warehouse has implemented a definite Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) to identify and prevent/lessen work-related injuries or sicknesses in the workers.

Assuring workers’ safety is also going to enhance the competitive advantage of your warehouse company.  You will attract skilled workers from the workforce, improve the morale and see improved performance of your existing workers. Thus, your company will be able to deliver better quality services.

ISO 27001

Warehouse companies take the responsibility of storing a variety of items for other businesses. The items could be products, raw materials, crucial equipment, technology devices, IT support systems, and even piles of important files or documents. Whatever items are stored in a warehouse, they must be a significant asset to the company and any sensitive information related to the asset must be safeguarded during the period of storage. For this reason, the ISO 27001 standard for Information Security Management System (ISMS) is required by warehouse companies which will help them meet compliance with common data security practices and requirements.

Achieving this certification will demonstrate your commitment to ensuring the security of information related to the items stored in your warehouse. This is a crucial factor that businesses must consider when selecting a warehousing service provider to maintain the confidentiality of their products/materials. Thus, the certification will also give your company the opportunity to win more contracts.

Conclusion

When it comes to ISO certification of warehouse companies, these four are the most relevant ones that address the key management systems. Investing in these certifications will be a beneficial move for your warehouse company. From improving the efficiency of internal processes, improved stock management, to ensuring the safety of workers and environment, and many other benefits that you can experience by getting certified with these.

Having the ISO management systems implemented will not only improve your warehousing management but also integrate the inflow and outflow processes and will speed up the order realisation. This will make your warehouse company a potential partner in many businesses supply chains.

Do you own a warehouse company? If you need help with any of these certifications for your company, get in touch with our seasoned ISO consultants at Complianchelp! We will provide you with end-to-end consultation services to make you ready for certification in a quick time and in a cost-effective way.