For some industries, not being ISO accredited can mean that you won’t even be considered when applying for tenders. Some organisations use it as a culling tool to automatically remove companies from the tender process.

Initially pioneered in 1926, and reestablished again in 1947 as it still operates today, ISO is made up of 162 members, each representing one of the 162 countries the organisation is active in.

There are more than 22,000 ISO standards that are instrumental in facilitating international trade, covering everything from manufactured products, technology, to construction, food safety, agriculture and healthcare.