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What ISO 9001 Means for Electrical Switchboard Manufacturers

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Quality assurance is important to many industries, but few rely on it as much as the electrical switchboard industry. With electronic components being made and supplied all over the world and switchboards used in remote, harsh environments, standards are needed to ensure reliable and safe products.

Benefits of ISO


ISO has changed the world regarding international trade and regulation. The main benefits of implementing ISO include:

  • Barriers to international trade have been brought down as standardisation has improved efficiency of production and trade
  • Solutions to national and international problems have been developed
  • Technical detail and safety requirements haven’t needed to be reinvented time and again because organisations are adhering to the same ones

What ISO 9001 Means


ISO 9001 relates to quality management and improving customer satisfaction. A quality management system defines how an organisation can meet the requirements of clients and stakeholders. It is based on continual improvement.

The important aspects of ISO 9001 for electrical switchboard contractors is to:

  • Identify key processes for meeting the organisation’s objectives and customers’ needs
  • Understand customers’ requirements and guarantee you can meet them

Over 1 million companies and organisations worldwide are certified to ISO 9001. It is recommended that organisations perform internal audits to ensure the quality management system is working efficiently. Otherwise, an independent certification organisation may be brought in, or customers used to audit the quality system.

Quality and customer service is everything in the electrical switchboard industry. Every client has slightly different requirements, and if their switchboard isn’t designed to meet those needs, then the contractor hasn’t done their job properly. Quality is even more important in Australia than others parts of the world. The harshness of the environment and the distance between a switchboard and the agent for repairs is considerable. The equipment has to be reliable under all conditions.

Updated to 2015


ISO 9001 has been updated to take into account the new challenges businesses now face since its 2008 release.

ISO 9001:2015 follows the same high-level structure as other ISO management system standards. This version places greater emphasis on leadership engagement which is important for any electrical switchboard provider. It addresses organisational risk and opportunities using simplified language. Effective supply management is also addressed and has been made more user-friendly for service and knowledge-based organisations.

ISO History


Being an international organisation, the choice of name was important as it had to translate into many languages worldwide. Named the International Organisation for Standardization in English, it was difficult to choose an acronym of the organisation’s name because it would be different around the world. A decision was made to use the acronym ISO worldwide as it is based on the Greek word ‘isos’ meaning equal.

ISO’s origins began in 1946 when 25 delegates from around the world met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London. They recognised that an international standard was required ‘to facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards.’ Operations began in February 1947, and since then over 21,000 International Standards have been published covering almost every aspect of technology and manufacturing. ISO employs 135 staff at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Still unsure about this? It's preferable to seek advice from experts or agencies for further information on secure electronic switchboards, that will work great for you and your clients alike. 
Location: Perth WA, Australia

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