Management systems: the six star certifications of 2019

Food safety, data protection, occupational health and safety... Companies are incorporating societal concerns and adopting voluntary standards that enable them to address these issues... to the point of seeking certification. This is one of the key lessons learned from the ISO Survey 2019 , a comprehensive survey that lists all management system certificates issued worldwide. And France is part of this trend.

And you, did you obtain a management system certification in 2019? If so, you probably appear in these figures. Indeed, as it does every year, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) asks all certification bodies to report their data, country by country, on 12 standards: ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), ISO/IEC 27001 (information systems), ISO 22000 (food safety), ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), ISO 13485 (medical devices), ISO 50001 (energy), ISO 22301 (business continuity), ISO 20000-1 (services), ISO 28000 (supply chain security), ISO 37001 (anti-corruption), ISO 39001 (road safety). Certifying bodies that wish to do so submit their figures, and here are the results for six star certifications in 2019.

ISO 9001: quality continues to move forward

The benchmark for certification bodies, ISO 9001's international success continued unabated in 2019. In one year, the number of certificates rose from 878,664 to 883,521 worldwide, a slight increase of 0.5%. It should be noted that in 2019, as with ISO 14001, only the 2015 version of the standard was eligible for certification. In 2018, the previous version (2008) was accepted until September 14. Quality management remains by far the most certified reference system, covering more than 1.2 million sites worldwide. France, with more than 57,700 certified sites, retains its 6 ^e place behind China (281,000), Italy (137,000), Germany (72,000), Japan (82,500), and Spain (59,000). France has slightly fewer certified sites than in 2019, but more active certificates. This means that more customers have applied for certification, but on a smaller scope of activities.

ISO 14001: environmental management proves appealing

After a period of stagnation, ISO 14001 certification is gaining momentum again in France. The voluntary standard dedicated to environmental management now records 6,402 certificates in mainland France, up 5% year-on-year, covering nearly 19,000 sites. Globally, the trend is also upward: a total of 312,000 certificates in 2019 compared to 307,000 in 2018. Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain have seen a decline in the number of certificates, but Germany (+10%) and China (+15%) are following the same upward trajectory. Among other notable facts, the South Korea enters the top 10, while the United States tumbles from 9th to 13th place in the global rankings. As for India , it recorded a very strong increase of 32% year-on-year, representing 2,000 additional certificates in the country! In terms of sectors, the construction remains well ahead. Of note is a very strong increase in activities in services (which rose from 27% to 34% of certificates issued worldwide) compared to industry (which fell from 71% to 65%) and entry into the top 5 engineering services .

ISO/IEC 27001: in tune with the times

Digital data plays a dominant role, information systems are developing at a rapid pace, and with them the need to protect them. The ISO/IEC 27001 standard contributes to the protection of sensitive data by implementing measures to prevent hacking and ensure compliance with the GDPR, for example. However, it remains a standard for management system . A sign that French companies are embracing the issue: in one year, the number of active certificates registered by ISO in the country jumped by 57%, from 220 to 350. A certificate covers an average of three and a half sites Growth can also be seen on a global scale, with 36,300 active certificates, representing a 14% increase between 2018 and 2019.

ISO 45001: the boom in occupational health and safety

The ISO 45001 standard has only been in existence since 2018, but the number of companies that have adopted it in such a short time, even going so far as to obtain certification, proves the enormous expectations surrounding occupational health and safety management. While 12,000 organizations took the plunge in 2018, by the end of 2019 there were more than 38,000, representing an increase of more than triple ! So many companies are now better equipped to weather storms such as Covid-19... Over the course of a year, the increase has been particularly marked in France, which has gone from 94 certificates issued in 2018 to 524 in 2019 In the vast majority of cases, AFNOR Certification is the issuer of these certificates. In terms of certified sites, France now has 1,500, compared to 200 the previous year (giving a ratio of one certificate for 2.9 sites ). Strong growth is expected to continue in 2020 for two reasons. First, the pandemic context will increase interest in this type of framework, in order to protect the health of its employees and ensure the long-term viability of its business. Secondly, due to the end of OHSAS 18001 text , which has been the benchmark until now. It will be switched to ISO 45001, resulting in new certificates being issued to better adapt to current challenges. You can also consult our dossier on occupational health and safety.

ISO 22301: at the heart of current events

The 14 French companies certified in 2019 for their effective business continuity management had the right instinct. By providing guidelines for building a business continuity plan (BCP) The voluntary ISO 22301 standard resonates with the global health context and the economic upheavals it has caused. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, COVID-19 pandemic , and the subsequent lockdown, those without a BCP were in for a rude awakening! In France, only two companies and 20 sites had certification at the end of 2018. A year later, the number of sites had risen to 50, and there is no doubt that The turbulence of 2020 is likely to generate strong interest in this benchmark. … Globally, the ISO Survey lists nearly 1,700 valid certificates across 6,200 sites. These figures show slight growth over one year, but nevertheless highlight companies' lack of foresight on these essential issues.

ISO 13485: the calm before the storm?

The reference framework dedicated to medical device management slightly slowed down in France in 2019, with 1,046 certificates compared to 1,102 in 2018, and 1,594 sites (-122). However, ISO 13485 should soon regain momentum, at least in Europe, with the entry into force in May 2021 of a new regulation on the subject, to avoid new scandals such as that of breast implants that are dangerous to health. This is the Regulation 2017/745. Originally scheduled for May 2020, the effective date of this text has been postponed by one year due to the health situation. However, professionals must organize themselves to implement methods that will guarantee the safety of their products throughout their life cycle. And by presenting the ISO 13485 certification (2016 version, the latest to date), they are reassuring their customers today about this ability to manage risks.