CASE STUDIES
Quality that is higher, less expensive, more productive, safe, and long-lasting. See how certificates aided these businesses through case studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Many organisations place a high priority on measuring environmental performance or limiting environmental damage. Consumers, suppliers, purchasers, and specifiers can have confidence in environmental claims made thanks to accredited testing, calibration, inspection, and certification. These services also provide credible documentation of compliance to the government and regulators.
Standardization and authorised conformity assessment can help save energy, money, and the environment. These case studies, research papers, and accompanying materials demonstrate how firms are conserving resources, decreasing waste, improving recycling, and saving money on energy.
LG CHEM
In 2014, the LG Chem Ltd. Ochang facility, which manufactures acrylic film for LCD modules and Lithium-Ion batteries, installed an Energy Management System (EnMS).
LG Chem, as a materials firm, claims to want to build long-term value by treating people and the environment with respect in all of its business activities.
The Ochang facility reduced its energy costs by 13% ($9.5 million) in 2014 and 11% ($7.0 million) in 2015 thanks to monthly monitoring of its energy use and GHG emissions.
This factsheet on the Clean Energy Ministerial website contains additional information.
3M
With ISO 50001, 3M reduces energy costs by 15.2 percent.
Overview
At its Brockville production site in Canada, 3M Company, a US Chemicals company, established an effective energy management system (EnMS). The ISO 50001 worldwide EnMS standard was certified by the Brockville factory in 2012.
Accredited accreditation has resulted in significant cost reductions in the workplace. Since the EnMS was formally established, 3M’s Brockville factory has improved its energy intensity by 15.2 percent compared to 2010.
This was created from:
- a 3-percentage-point increase in energy intensity per year
- a 12% reduction in the amount of energy used by its compressed air system
- Since the EnMS was introduced, there has been a 30% reduction in energy costs per unit of product ($/m2).
- Since November 2011, there has been a 42 percent drop in energy intensity (BTU/m2).
View Case Study
IBM
IBM uses ISO 14001 to reduce worldwide energy consumption by 6.7 percent.
Overview
IBM is the world’s largest technology services corporation, with about 380000 workers serving clients in over 175 countries.
IBM has a global EMS that is compliant with ISO 14001. This standard, according to the corporation, has enabled sustained performance and achievements, such as:
- Energy and the environment: IBM’s conservation efforts saved 6.8 million MWh of energy and 4.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions between 1990 and 2014. During 2014, IBM saved 6.7 percent of its overall energy use through energy conservation. On a global scale, their purchases of renewable electricity (excluding what is included in the regular mix of grid power) accounted for 14.2 % of total consumption.
- Product stewardship: IBM collected and processed more than 2 billion pounds of end-of-life IT items globally between 1995 and 2014. In 2014, about 97 percent of the amount processed was reused, resold, or recycled.
View Case Study
BENTLEY
Bentley introduced ISO50001:2011, Energy Management Systems, and each car produced now uses two-thirds less energy.
Overview
Bentley has had its whole operation – from design to manufacture to sales – on one historic location in Crewe, England, since 1938. Bentley has faced the difficulty of modernising their famous factory to match modern motor manufacturing standards while also leading the industry in engineering, skills, employment, and environmental performance over the years.
Bentley implemented ISO 50001: 2011, Energy management systems – Requirements with assistance for use, a voluntary global standard that sets up a framework for large and small industrial plants, commercial, organisational, and federal facilities to fundamentally change the way they maintain energy, along with power management, via a measurable, systematic method.
Bentley was able to establish sophisticated energy monitoring systems, targets of energy fissures, and develop strategies for improvement in areas such as boiler and compressed air systems, technology, lighting and heating , insulation, and more efficient variable speed drives on new cars by implementing ISO 50001. As a result, Bentley cut energy use by two-thirds per car produced and by 14% overall for the entire facility, resulting in 230 GWh of energy savings — enough to power 11,500 homes for a year.
View Case Study
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Standards and authorised conformity assessment are becoming more common in the supply chain, and they can be found in an increasing number of tender contracts. They give buyers the assurance that the items are safe, dependable, and conform to specifications. As a result, they open up new markets and prospects for businesses.
International standards and mutual recognition accreditation agreements govern standards and accredited conformity assessment. As a result, they make trade easier by removing technical impediments to trade and lowering potential transaction costs. These case studies, research papers, and accompanying materials demonstrate how companies are capitalizing on new market opportunities.
SIEMENS
Between 1.1 and 2.8 percent of EBIT is contributed by standards.
Overview
Siemens, a German power switchgear manufacturer, claims that following standards has resulted in cumulative earnings before interest and taxes savings of 1.1 percent to 2.8 percent.
Power transmission is primarily handled by high-voltage switchgear and control equipment, while power distribution is handled by medium-voltage switchgear. Siemens manufactures a comprehensive range of switchgear and control equipment that is of excellent quality and meets or exceeds the criteria of applicable DIN EN standards. The goods have a high level of safety, reliability, performance, and long-term usability.
On the ISO website, you may get further information.
DANPER
Standards are responsible for 30% of fruit exporter revenues.
Overview
Danper is a major agro-exporter in Peru, with a cumulative revenue of USD 88 million in 2010, virtually entirely through exports to the United States, Europe, and other markets. By far the most significant product, asparagus and artichokes, with three key lines of business: preserved goods (77% of sales), fresh produce (21%), and frozen goods (2%).
Standards accounted for 30% of the asparagus exporting business’s annual gross income (USD 648,000).
On the ISO website, you may get further information.
ELLCO ETIKETT
Due to a lost tender, Ellco Etikett receives authorised certification.
Overview
Ellco Etikett, a Norwegian label manufacturer, received accredited accreditation to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 after losing a long-term customer that demanded accredited certification from its suppliers. Because of its ineligibility to tender, the company sought certified certification for both its quality and environmental management systems, which it currently holds.
More information can be found here
GERFOR
Sales are linked to ISO 9001 certification in 47% of cases.
Overview
Gerfor, a Colombian plastics firm that specialises in the production of PVC pipes and equipment, attributed 47 percent of total sales revenues to contracts in which compliance with standards (most notably ISO 9001) was deemed critical to securing the sale. By implementing standard-based methods, the company was able to minimise the time it took to check and analyse PVC resin from four hours to 15 minutes.
On the ISO website, you may get further information
BDC
For a brick manufacturer, standards have a positive impact of 4.96 percent on EBIT.
Overview
Lobatse Clay Works, a Botswana brick maker, produces over 30 million bricks per year. It employs 175 employees, including six interns and temporary staff. It has revenue of more than 64 million Botswana Pula (BWP), which is around USD 9.73 million.
Standards, according to the corporation, contributed 2.63 percent of total sales / turnover and had a positive impact of 4.96 percent on earnings before interest and tax.
The ISO website has the complete report.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
Organizations that apply standards and approved conformity assessment have more satisfied consumers, more efficient working methods, better cost control, and more control over their internal processes and staff competency.
As a result, standards and approved conformity assessment can help you enhance the quality of your products and services, strengthen the resilience of your IT systems and resources, better manage your assets, and increase the marketability of your products and services. These case studies, research articles, and related materials demonstrate how firms may benefit internally and enhance quality assurance.
SCOTTISH WATER
Scottish Water adopts ISO 55001 accreditation to effectively manage tangible assets and improve the customer experience.
Overview
Scottish Water is one of the UK’s top five water utilities, serving five million consumers in 2.4 million homes and 124,000 businesses with regulated water and wastewater services. The corporation employs around 3,400 people across Scotland, having its headquarters in Dunfermline. It has 29,000 miles of water mains, 31,000 miles of sewerage, 280 water treatment plants, and 1,800 wastewater treatment plants under its control. It is the sole provider of water and waste water services to an area of almost 30,000 square miles – roughly a third of the size of the United Kingdom – with a limited and scattered population, necessitating the management of a large number of physical assets.
In 2012-13, the firm spent £487 million on quality and standards upgrades across Scotland, repairing and updating treatment plants, water mains, sewers, and networks.
Scottish Water’s strategy prioritises infrastructure investment, as well as the maintenance and upgrade of physical assets, to aid in the provision of safe drinking water and the efficient removal and treatment of wastewater.
The company’s sites and services are run using business management systems that meet the highest industry standards. These include accreditation by UKAS to: ISO/IEC 17025, which demonstrates the competence of its water testing and calibration laboratories, as well as certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, which demonstrates its commitment to robust best practise business management systems, as well as PAS 55, which was the first publicly available specification for optimising physical asset management, and PAS 55, which was the first publicly available specification for optimising physical asset management.
The company is now the first in its industry to be certified to the new worldwide ISO 55001 standard, which was released in January 2014 and represents the most up-to-date international best practise in asset management.
They were able to demonstrate to consumers and authorities that they had reached a high level of expertise in the optimum management of their assets that produce clean drinking water and handle wastewater safely and efficiently thanks to ISO 55001 certification.
ISO 55001 will give customers confidence that their assets are being managed effectively, ensuring them on topics such as supply certainty, quality of water, and water charges.
Scottish Water also sees ISO 55001 as a badge of assurance for its regulators, as it helps the firm get the most out of its assets, freeing up funds for more infrastructure improvements and lowering average household costs in Scotland, which are now among the lowest in the United Kingdom. The Water Industry Commission for Scotland highlights in a report on the company’s performance in 2012-13 that it excelled forecasts in a number of important areas, including customer service levels, implementing its 2010-15 investment programme, reducing leakage, and preserving financial soundness.
Please click here to read the entire case study.
SODEXO
Clients can benefit from Sodexo’s 20 efficiency, cost savings, and greater reliability.
Overview
An asset management system’s typical outcomes include better control of day-to-day activities and business efficiencies, lower risk-related expenses, regulatory compliance, and lower failure rates. The tangible outcomes include a considerable rise in profitability and a significant decrease in unit cost.
Sodexo, the world’s leading provider of quality-of-life services, has become one of the first service providers to offer a worldwide asset management service that meets ISO 55001. It has demonstrated greater benefit for its clients through the application of best-practice asset management, including-
- Operational efficiency gains of 20% through improved asset management planning.
- Total cost of operation reductions of between 7% and 12% per year are expected.
- Increased asset infrastructure dependability by ten percent to twenty-five percent.
The whole case study can be seen here.
SHOGYO
With ISO 9001, an OEM parts provider hopes to boost revenue by $200,000.
Shogyo International, an experienced OEM supplier of electronic parts, has benefited from its ISO 9001 accreditation. Many of the company’s customers required ISO 9001 certification before they could even bid on projects, so the company in Syosset, New York, decided to pursue it.
The company reaped the following benefits in the short term:
- Because of the certification, they were able to qualify for projects that they had previously been unable to qualify for, and they no longer needed to complete extensive questionnaires.
- Our nonconformities are now more understood by them. Customers now understand the process when they seek remedial measures.
- They can also keep a tighter grip on nonconformities from their vendors. They can detect and monitor trends by managing nonconformities.
The company hopes that the accreditation would result in a $200k increase in sales volume in the medium run. They are already saving roughly $6,000 per year as a result of their staff spending less time filling out large questionnaires during bids, allowing the company to recoup its ISO 9001 certification expense in less than two years. They anticipate that more cost savings will emerge as our system matures. The ISO 9001 group website has additional information.
DOWNER
The installation of IS0 55001 saves Downer % in operational costs.
Overview
For the Yarra Park Water Recycling Facility, Downer and the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) set a new standard by gaining and maintaining Australia’s first ISO 55001 (asset management system certification) (YPWRF).
The facility combines a variety of innovative design and construction characteristics, and is now recognised with an international standard for best practise in the way the WRF is operated as an asset, as well as holding Australia’s first ISO 55001 accreditation.
The MCC-owned plant processes and re-uses sewage from the local sewer system, achieving Government management goals while also setting new standards for others to follow.
The plant has benefited from the ISO 55001-certified SECURED Asset Management by DownerTM system-
- Improved monitoring and control resulted in a 47 percent reduction in operational costs.
- Improved risk management and reliability, with effort directed more efficiently toward tasks that pose a larger risk to operations, resulting in a 40% reduction in reactive activity.
- Continuous improvement efforts will receive more attention, allowing for even more advantages to be realised.
- Over the course of 36 months, the WRF’s reliability increased by 41%.
The WRF has received Australia’s first ISO 55001 asset management system certification, recognising it as an international best practise asset management standard. This significant certification illustrates Downer’s and the MCC’s collaboration and integrated decision-making to improve asset outcomes. They have implemented coordinated and systematic asset management processes, practises, and decision rules as a result of the asset management system to ensure they are efficiently and effectively utilising the WRF in meeting objectives and stakeholder expectations.
The whole case study can be seen here.
ACCREDITED SNOW CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATED
Snow removal companies who are SN 9001 certified pay lower insurance prices.
Overview
The snow and ice management industry brought in $500 million in premiums in 2011, but the insurance industry paid out nearly $1 billion in claims. As a result, fewer carriers were willing to insure snow and ice operations each winter, with as many as eight to twelve conventional carriers abandoning the business entirely. As a result of these costs, insurance firms have increased the cost of snow removal general liability policies.
The Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) collaborated with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to develop a quality management system for snow and ice management companies. This quality management system standard, SN 9001, is based on ISO 9001 and is designed specifically for snow and ice management contract workers to demonstrate that they have taken the extra steps to manage their risk, implement appropriate procedures and proesses, and strive to achieve operations that are coherent with established criteria.
According to the ASCA, recognised accreditation to SN9001 has resulted in lower insurance premiums, less waste associated with slip-and-fall litigation, increased final satisfaction and security, improved supplier-customer satisfaction, and more efficient resource utilisation.
On the ASCA website, you may learn more about the programme.
REDUCED COSTS
Standards and approved conformity assessment services can help businesses save money in various areas of their operations, including purchasing, production, sales, research and development, quality assurance, environmental protection, and occupational health and safety.
Reduced redundancy, fewer errors, and shorter time to market are all benefits of standards and conformity assessment activities. They can also improve internal efficiencies by using less energy, producing less waste, and being more resilient. These case studies, research articles, and supplementary materials demonstrate how companies are cutting costs.
INAIL
With Health & Safety certification, one can save up to 28% on your insurance premiums.
Overview
Businesses who possess recognised accreditation to the Health and Safety management systems standard, OHSAS 18001, can save up to 28% on insurance premiums, according to Italy’s Workers’ Compensation Authority, INAIL, the national governmental institute for insurance against work-related accidents.
INAIL can offer lower rates because OHSAS 18001 has been shown to minimise workplace accidents by up to 40% in some industries.
The graphs below illustrate how organisations certified to OHSAS 18001 reduced the incidence and severity of workplace accidents, as well as the average premium reductions in each industry.
On the INAIL website, you may get further information.
DARIGOLD
Dairy Producer reduces energy expenses by 21% while increasing production by 42%.
Overview
Darigold, a dairy and food processing firm situated in the United States, established an energy management system across their whole operation, allowing them to save a significant amount of money while also lowering their greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite rising energy costs and fluctuating utility rates, Darigold’s energy strategy has resulted in a 21 percent reduction in energy intensity (BTU/lb) since 2001. Production grew by 42% within the same time period, indicating that large product efficiency improvements may be linked to the implementation of planned energy management.
The installation of their strategic energy management system has also resulted in the following non-energy benefits:
- Increased efficiency and dependability: Replacing old equipment with new equipment usually improves both reliability and efficiency.
- Improved safety: The danger of work-related injuries linked with operating machinery was reduced because to newer, more reliable equipment.
- Reduced employee turnover and improved morale: People were more engaged because they could contribute to a meaningful cause, which resulted in lower turnover and higher morale. Everyone realised that conserving energy is also beneficial to the environment.
ADNOC
Over the course of three years, ADNOC saves $150 million in energy costs.
Overview
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Business (ADNOC) is a government-owned oil and gas company that is responsible for managing, producing, and conserving Abu Dhabi’s hydrocarbon resources.
In 2014, ADNOC reaped substantial benefits from obtaining authorised accreditation to ISO 50001. Its energy efficiency has improved by 6% since the baseline year of 2014. This equates to 57 billion cubic feet of natural gas or 60 million gigajoules in terms of energy. As a result, a total cost savings of $150 million has been realised, as well as a decrease of 3.1 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
ADNOC’s mid-term goal is to enhance its energy performance by at least 10% by 2020, resulting in a total savings of around $1 billion.
The Clean Energy Ministerial website has a wealth of information.
NANOTRON TECHNOLOGIES
A German ICT company saves 14 percent on costs while increasing sales by 19 percent.
Overview
By embracing standards, Nanotron Technologies, a German information and communications technology business, was able to save 14 percent on costs and boost sales revenue by 19 percent, equating to nearly 33 percent of total yearly sales revenue.
On the ISO website, you may get further information.
NISSAN
Implementing ISO 50001 saves Nissan $9.4 million.
Overview
Nissan Motor Company, a leading international automaker, has implemented ISO 50001 accreditation at all three of its US factories, saving about 1,600 billion Btu of primary energy and $9.4 million in yearly energy costs.
The energy management system emphasises improvements through operational and behavioural adjustments, and data from two accredited locations shows that nearly two-thirds of the energy reductions were realised with no capital expenditure.
The US Department of Energy website has more information.