Many companies are now implementing ISO standards to stand out from the crowd and bolster their competitiveness in the industry. And they don’t have to go through a lot since they can now count on an ISO documentation toolkit. After all, it helps ease the pressure that accompanies hiring a consultant.
Despite this, some organizations still find it difficult to understand the term ‘documented information.’ This confusion comes to life considering the term replaces the previously used terms ‘documents’ and ‘records.’ In this blog post, we will help you understand the difference these terms and why it was necessary to introduce ‘documented information’ for ISO standards.
What is ISO Documentation Information?
Before investing in an ISO 27001 toolkit or any other for that matter, you will first have to understand what ISO documented information entails. In ISO standards, documented information is used in reference to information controlled and managed by a company, including policies, procedures, and records. It has been used to replace the terms documents and records to better reflect the changing nature of information and its management.
An important point to remember is that ‘Documents’ and ‘Records’ are used in different ISO management standards, including ISO 27001 and ISO 9001. These terms refer to different types of information managed by an organization. That’s why they are worth mastering before going through any ISO checklist.
Why Introduce the Term ‘Documented Information?’
In the event that documentations only cover documents and records, why did ISO standards opt to introduce this term? Well, its introduction in ISO standards was essential because it reflects the evolving nature of information and its management more accurately. In some instances, there is a mix of documents and records, making it quite difficult to differentiate between the two.
Importance of Documented Information for ISO Standards
There’s no denying that documented information is essential for ISO standards since it specifies precisely what needs to be done and records key activities to prove compliance. For instance, in a large company, it could be quite difficult to explain to your employees who backup tech to use and how to perform backup without a Backup Policy in place.
If there are no backup logs, it would be nearly impossible to determine if the backup was actually done and if it was done regularly. The documented information, in this case, becomes the beginning and the end of your compliance activities.
The Bottom Line
Now that you already have an insight into the importance of documented information for ISO standards, why not consider investing in an ISO 9001 toolkit? Considering it is such a mammoth task, you need to do a bit of research here and there before deciding on anything.
To select the best documentation toolkit for an ISO standard, you need to ensure it comes with an internal audit template. You should also prioritize the ease of use of the documentation and know where to start and the sequence of the steps in the implementation.