MENU

Eyelashes, Wigs, Hair Extensions, Toupees made in Indonesia

ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 Certifications in Progress

April 2, 2013

PT Bio Takara has been committed to view quality and environmental impact as the factors that need to be improved continuously. This is the reason why starting April 1st 2013 (rest assured, this is not in the spirit of April Fools’ Day), PT Bio Takara has started to undergo the process of getting ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System) certifications by the world’s leading certification company, SGS.

Clearly the implication is that you care about quality as much as we do and would therefore like to know as much as you can about these certifications and the kind of impact that they would have on our existing or potential business.

As far as the nature of our business is concerned, you are well aware that the primary line of activity in PT Bio Takara is that we produce false eyelashes, wigs, hair extensions, and toupees. Given such a niche product line, it would be rather apparent to you that quality plays an absolutely pivotal role as far as the extent to which we are able to proffer complete satisfaction to our customers.

Let us look at these certifications more closely so that we understand them well, which will in turn allow you to appreciate them better in the context of the industry we are in.

 

ISO 9001:2008 Certification

First up, as you would be aware, ISO is the International Organization for Standardization, a Geneva based global organization which works towards standardizing a lot of the everyday processes of diverse aspects around us whether organizations such as ours or any others.

 

 The ISO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

Specific to ISO 9001:2008 certification, firstly it comes within the realm of ISO 9000 certification which deals with quality management system at organizations and the way in which they are able to ensure that the best interests, not only of their customers but indeed of all concerned stakeholders, are met consistently and also met very well.

Essentially, it is a document which specifies the requirements and international standard of quality management systems across organizations in varied countries. Now, while the auditing and the implication may vary as such from country to country, most fundamentals more or less remain the same whereby we find that quality management and strict adherence to quality standards serve as fundamental guiding lights.

 

So if we are to look at some aspects which would specify the ISO 9001:2008 mandate, they would include:

  • The alignment of the organization’s management to quality standards; there can be no quality assurance if those at the helm of affairs themselves are not rigid about quality.
  • Quality assurance and quality management has to be all pervasive. So whether we are referring to employees or to customers, there has to be a uniform and consistent adherence to quality standards which cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
  • Quality assessment is an ongoing and regular activity at the organization; verbal assurances or past quality standard certifications can in fact lose their relevance over time. That is the reason ISO 9001:2008 stipulates that quality standards are managed and assessed frequently from time to time.   
  • Simply establishing quality standards and then adhering to them may not be enough. After all, however high the organization may strive to achieve towards – and perhaps also manage to attain those heights, it is quite possible that customers may still be disillusioned. That is where ISO 9001:2008 recommends that customer feedback be obtained continuously and that customer focus never lost sight of.
  • Any time any quality related issues crop up the organization has to take definite, strong steps to address those issues. Mild mannered initiatives which may not serve any purpose from the point of view of quality simply do not cut ice with ISO 9001:2008.

 

These are broadly the primary quality related aspects as seen in the case of ISO 9001:2008. If we are to look at their context with respect to our own organization, there could be instances galore like the following:

  • Not just a solitary department but indeed our entire organization which commits itself to rigidly maintaining quality standards at all times. Further, it is those at the top – the senior management which aligns itself to these quality standards and also abides by them at all times.
  • Quality is a matter of uncompromisable priority within our organization across all levels; there is no way that we can compromise on that in anyway.
  • Quality checks are undertaken constantly and at all departments and levels. So whether we are producing false eyelashes in one department and wigs in another, they are all liable to be checked periodically for quality adherence on a routine, ongoing basis.
  • We constantly listen to customer feedback and inputs, and of course also look at market trends all the time. So if say customers provide positive feedback on a particular variety of products which we have come out with, we strive to ensure that the quality in question is maintained at all times. Likewise, if products of a particular type have come into the vogue off late, we work very hard to ensure that those products have the kind of quality level which people have come to expect of it.

  

ISO 14001:2004 certification

Again, to understand ISO 14001:2004 certification, it is apt that we first look at ISO 14000 which will give us a good background before we delve into ISO 14001:2004 in particular.

ISO 14000 as a whole is almost entirely dedicated to environmental management which is its clear guiding light. So the aspects which could broadly fall within its purview would include impact of the organization’s activities on the environment, and in light of any adverse impact which could possibly be felt on the environment, the ways and means which can be taken – and ideally ARE being taken, to reverse and ultimately stop any kind of an adverse impact on the environment.

 

 

  ISO 14000 has a clear focus on the environment around us

Moreover, there are many situations where the impact on the environment may be adverse only at a really minimal level but at the same time there would be immense scope for improvement with regard to this same impact being minimized to the minimum level possible. In fact in many situations it is just as possible that the negative impacts as such could be done away with completely.

It is all of these aspects that ISO 14000 family of standards typically delves with.

Now when all of these environmental aspects are taken in the context of a company or more appropriately an organization, that is when we see the ISO 14001 family of standards coming to the fore, wherein ISO 14001:2004 certification of course has a clear distinction of its own.

So the key aspect which remains fundamental to ISO 14001:2004 standards is that there must be organization specific criteria involved here, with the environmental aspect of course remaining sacrosanct.

 

Some aspects to consider would include:

  • An organization’s recognition of the importance that the environment in general holds for all of us.
  • The organization having in place a dynamic and forward looking environmental policy which strives to set out all the goals and objectives of the organization with regard to its environmental actions that it may have already taken as well as initiatives which it is planning for.
  • A lot of the environmental aspects as pertaining to organizations may not always be voluntary; instead they may have to be compulsorily adhered to, thanks to legal statutes. This in many ways is a major aspect of ISO 14001:2004 certification.

 

A lot of the legal and other statutory regulations / requirements are clearly spelled out in the video below:

  • With the environmental policy firmly in place, the next step on the part of the said organization would essentially be to ensure that that there are concrete objectives and goals which are directed by this policy. In the absence of such definite objectives which are to be met at practically any cost, there is always the possibility of a lot of the standardization related aspects remaining nothing but theoretical concepts. It is these clear-cut goals which manage to bring about much more objectivity to the whole process.
  • None of the environmental goals and objectives as laid out in the environmental policy of organizations would really bear fruit if there is no meticulous training involved. After all, most employees would neither know how to – or indeed even be sensitive to requirements of the environment. It is the organization which needs to sensitize them and that is where we find ISO 14001:2004 standards making a big difference by ensuring that employees align themselves to these environmental objectives and also receive adequate training and development on ways and means to actually function in the best interests of the environment.

 

Again, like we did in the case of ISO 9001:2008 certifications, you will find that in case of ISO 14001:2004 certifications as well, PT Bio Takara have striven hard to ensure that we as an organization function perfectly aligned with environmental objectives. Instances would include:

  • We have actively recognized the importance of the environment as a whole. We have also recognized the impact that we as an organization have on the environment, over the course of our day to day functioning.
  • Simple recognition of the impact on our environment as a result of our day to day functioning is of course simply not enough. That is the reason we have put in place adequate environmental policy related initiatives which together ensure that we not only theoretically work towards environmental sustainability and prevent environmental degradation, we actually work towards the same in a very practical manner.
  • Indeed a lot of the environmental initiatives being undertaken at our organization are driven by legal statutes and not simply personal desires from the point of view of the organization.
  • Our environmental objectives and goals are clearly defined and in line with the product portfolio that we have.
  • Our employees, not only at the high level but indeed across all levels of the organization are well aware of the fact that when it comes to environmental aspects, we need to do the right thing.

 

Conclusion  

Ultimately, as an organization which is essentially into the beauty industry, we are very confident of the manner in which we have aligned ourselves with the objectives and values as set forth in the ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications.

Therefore, irrespective of the relationship that you hold with us as one of our stakeholders – quite likely as a customer (or a potential one), if not then a government official, an employee, a governing body, or perhaps even simply a curious reader, you can be assured of the fact that you are dealing with an organization which is determined to be perfectly aligned with – as well as worthy of these prestigious standardized specific certifications.