The ISO Show

ISO Standards provide a framework to help businesses manage various aspects of their activities. Whether that's quality, risk, environmental or Information Security management, they provide invaluable guidance to establish an effective Management System.  However, for those who are new to ISO Standards, the Standards themselves can seem rather intimidating to interpret. Back in 2015, the Annex SL...

After 5 years of hosting the ISO Show, Mel Blackmore will be taking a step back as she focuses on her sustainability related endeavors. She's passing the baton onto our new host – Ian Battersby. Ian is a Senior isologist at Blackmores, and while relatively new to the team, he has a wealth of Standard and ISO related knowledge to share with you all. Today we Introduce Ian Battersby as the new host...

Can you believe we've been publishing the ISO Show for 5 years now! We certainly can't! The ISO Show began back in 2019, following a trip to Cumbria by the host Mel Blackmore. She was, and still is, an avid fan of podcasts and while listening to a few of her favourites on the 4 hour trip, she got to wondering if there were any podcasts about ISO Standards. As it happened, there wasn't at the time,...

Data Centres could be considered the powerhouse of thousands of businesses globally.  Long gone are the days of small physical servers being housed on-site, instead we rely on data centres to keep all our critical data safe and secure. But how do we know they are doing just that? Many hold certifications to security-based Standards such as SOC 2 or NIST to display their commitment to data security...

Working towards a sustainable future is going to require a joint effort from everyone if we're to reach our 2030 and 2050 targets.  Several initiatives have come out in recent years to try and address one of our biggest challenges, energy consumption. Many of us in the UK will be familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme), which involves regular reporting from those that fit its...

In February 2024, the ISO and IAF issued an unprecedented change to 31 commonly adopted ISO Standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001.   This change saw the addition of a new 'Climate Change Amendment', which was applied in part due to the ISO's resolution in support of the ISO London Declaration on Climate Change. So what does this mean for ISO certified businesses?   Join Mel as she d...

ISO 42001 was published in December of 2023, and is the first International Standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems. It was introduced following growing calls for a common framework for organisations who develop or use AI, to help implement, maintain and improve AI management practices. However, its benefits extends past simply establishing an effective AI Management System. Join S...

Nearly 60% of businesses that are impacted by a cyber incident go out of business within the 6 months following. With our heavy reliance on technology to keep both businesses and services running, it's imperative that everyone take cyber risk seriously. However, incidents will inevitably happen and it's up to you to ensure that your business is prepared to ride out the wave, and hopefully make a f...

Cyber incidents are on the rise as data shows there was a 20% increase in data breaches from 2022 to 2023.  Technology has become an integral part of most businesses, especially post pandemic where many who may have avoided this reliance on tech had no choice but to adapt to survive. As a result, the question of businesses being affected by a cyber incident has become 'when' rather than 'if'.   Ho...

Businesses looking to tackle their environmental impact will need to look at how they can reduce their carbon emissions and offset any remaining emissions to ensure that they reach Net Zero. One of the most common ways businesses offset their emissions is through the purchasing of carbon credits that typically go towards planting trees or re-wilding. However, there are a number of new emerging tre...

The UK is the first major economy to achieve it's 50% reduction target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (between 1990 and 2022). However, we've still got a lot of work to do to reach our 2023 target of a 68% reduction. Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality will involve offsetting a certain amount of emissions...

The UK recently hit a huge milestone, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the UK have reduced their Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50% between 1990 and 2022.  The UK are the first major economy to achieve this, however we've still got a lot of work to do to meet our 2030 target of a 68% reduction. Over the past few years there have been a number of schemes aimed at b...

According to the ISO Survey, there's been a 82.9% increase in worldwide ISO 22301 certificates issued following 2020. Business Continuity is a must have for businesses who want to ensure long-term survivability following a disruptive event. Many turn to ISO 22301 to help put a framework in place, including today's guest – Lifelong Learner. However, what usually takes businesses a minimum of 6 mont...

There's no escaping it, AI is here to stay. Over the course of 2023 we've seen more general and public use of popular AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini (previously Google Bard). It's now even being integrated into everyday applications such as Microsoft Word and Teams. There is no doubt that there are a lot of benefits to using AI, however, with new technology comes new risks. So how do we addre...

We have over 18 years experience of implementing various ISO's, covering a wide range of topics such as Quality, Sustainability, Information Security and Risk. With a 100% success rate, we're confident in our consistent approach to implementing ISO's, so much so that we've coined our own unique methodology.   Our regular listeners may be familiar with the term 'isology' from previous episodes refe...

The deadline is looming over the horizon as October 2025 marks end of the validity of ISO 27001:2013 certificates. Have you made a start on your transition journey? If not, you really should make a start in 2024 to ensure you're all set well before that final deadline. The first step is to decide if you want to do it yourself or enlist the help of a professional consultant. For those that want to...

Did you know that in the UK alone, 22 million pieces of furniture are discarded each year, the majority of which goes directly to landfill. That amounts to an estimated 670,000 tonnes of furniture wasted, where a significant portion could be recycled and reused. (Source) It's clear to see the need for a more sustainable approach to furniture design, manufacture and lifecycle, which is where today'...

For those in the ISO Space, you may be very familiar with the term 'Certification' in relation to ISO Standards. However, for certain ISO Standards there is a different type of terminology you need to be aware of. The demand for a more unified and structured approach to reduce carbon emissions has resulted in a few carbon related ISO Standards to be published over the last few years. Standards suc...

ISO Standards are internationally recognised as the gold standard for best practice within a variety of subjects and sectors.  But what ISO Standards are the most popular across the whole globe? And are there any trends that can be gleaned? Thankfully, the International Standards Organization runs a yearly survey to find out! Join Mel in this weeks' episode as she breaks down the top 10 ISO Standa...

Before we dive into the new year, we'd like to take a step back and reflect on 2023.  Last year was filled with a lot of topics and challenges, from tackling the transition to ISO 27001:2022, to finding credible ways to offset your carbon emissions within the UK. With a total of 33 episodes published last year, Mel looks back on the 5 most popular episodes of 2023, including some highlights from e...

Trying to achieve Carbon Neutrality can feel like a monumental task, especially with so many separate elements that you have to complete. From quantifying your data, reducing where possible and offsetting the remainder, it can be hard to keep track of it all with taking a structured approach.  Which is where ISO 14068 comes in. This is the new Standard for Climate Change Management, and it's speci...

We're inching closer to our 2030 and 2050 Net Zero targets, and if we keep going the way we are, we're not going to hit either one.    This is unsurprising considering the lack of a unified approach to achieving Net Zero. There are a lot of options to tackle certain aspects of sustainability, but few outline an entire pathway to guide businesses towards a tangible goal.  However, that may be set t...

The use of AI within business is starting to become more common place. With major applications like Microsoft Teams and Word integrating many new features designed to make our lives easier.  However, we still need to exercise caution with this new technology and consider what we can put in place to mitigate any potential security risks while developing or utilizing it. Which is precisely what toda...

The demand for tangible sustainability action is becoming more pressing as we inch closer to our 2030 and 2050 Net Zero targets.  However, that is still quite a way off, and many businesses are dragging their feet when it comes to taking action. Sure, some may have an ESG Policy or mention it on their website, however that term is starting to become synonymous with green washing due to poor implem...

Sustainability has become a top topic to address in the last few years, both for businesses and individuals. In fact, 90% of business leaders think sustainability is important, but only 60% actually have a sustainability Strategy. The demand for tangible action is becoming more pressing as we inch close to the 2030 milestone of the Paris Agreement. To encourage action from businesses, we're seeing...