ISO 37301 CERTIFICATION

The ISO 37301 standard is the normative reference for the certification of corporate compliance management systems. It is an international standard that provides guidelines and requirements to help organizations effectively manage legal, ethical, and regulatory compliance in their activities.

The ISO 37301 standard is structured into various sections designed to assist organizations in developing an effective compliance management system. This system allows for the identification, evaluation, and management of non-compliance risks, the adoption of appropriate policies and procedures, and the demonstration of the organization’s commitment to legal and ethical compliance.

The ISO 37301 standard adds value to organizations by providing clear guidelines on how to efficiently manage compliance. It helps companies continually improve their compliance practices, meet customer expectations, and maintain an active and responsible corporate policy.

The adoption of the ISO 37301 standard is voluntary, but some organizations may be obligated to obtain certification due to local regulations or specific industry requirements. For example, companies involved in highly regulated sectors such as finance or healthcare may be subject to stricter compliance requirements and may find ISO 37301 certification essential to demonstrate compliance.

ISO 37301 certification offers numerous advantages to organizations:

• Improved Risk Management: It helps proactively identify and manage non-compliance risks, reducing potential negative impacts on business operations.
• Competitiveness and Reputation: Certification can enhance an organization’s credibility, improving its reputation with customers, business partners, and regulatory authorities.
• Access to Market Opportunities: ISO 37301 certification can enable organizations to participate in bids and other market opportunities that require strong compliance management.
• Operational Efficiency: It contributes to streamlining internal processes, reducing costs associated with non-compliance, and enhancing overall operational efficiency.
• Corporate Responsibility: It demonstrates the organization’s commitment to ethical and responsible business conduct.

Certification Request

All the economic aspects and the auditors’ activities related to the certification process may be agreed at this stage. The finalization of a contract concludes this part. Indeed the process for certification depends on the contract stipulated between the company and the certification body.
Generally, it is valid for three years.

Preliminary Audit (optional and possibly requested by the customer)

It is an initial assessment of the current company’s management system.
The preliminary audit is not involved in the normal process for certification and any possible improvement thus is intended to be nothing but a suggestion and it is not included in the official audit report.

Certification Audit – Stage 1

The audit is held in the company office. In this stage, the auditor gathers all the informations and evaluates the documents referring to the management system that must be certified. The auditor analyses the compulsory and voluntary standards. This is a preparatory step for the second stage of the Certification Audit.

Certification Audit – Stage 2

In this stage, the auditor will ascertain that the company complies with the management system. At the end of this process, the auditor will submit the ISO issue request to the certification body, if a significant nonconformity does not occur.