ISOconformant

ISOconformant describes a product, process, service, or system that conforms to one or more standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO standards cover a wide range of topics, including quality management, information security, environmental performance, and data formats. Being ISOconformant means the subject adheres to the criteria defined in the relevant standard, as demonstrated through appropriate conformity assessment activities.

ISO is an international, non-governmental organization that develops and publishes standards to facilitate international trade, safety, and interoperability. Conformance to ISO standards can be voluntary or mandated by regulatory regimes or market expectations, depending on the sector. Not all standards apply to every product, and several standards require different levels or scopes of conformance.

Conformity is typically demonstrated by assessment performed by accredited third-party bodies, internal audits against the standard, or formal declarations of conformity. Formal certification marks or certificates may be issued by certification bodies for management systems such as ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), and ISO/IEC 27001 (information security). However, ISO itself does not issue certificates.

Common areas of ISOconformance include quality management, information security, environmental management, occupational health and safety, and data formatting or interoperability standards such as ISO 8601 for dates or ISO 3166 for country codes. In practice, organizations may publicly advertise ISOconformant products or systems, but such claims should be traceable to an actual certificate, declaration of conformity, or self-declaration accompanied by adequate documentation.

Because of the broad scope of ISO, the term ISOconformant is context-dependent and may refer to different standards across industries. Users evaluating ISOconformant claims should verify the exact standard, scope, and the body that performed the assessment.