By Jasmin Dhakaan Accreditation Expert | The Conformity Edge – ISO/IEC 17000 Weekly Series
Complex ISO projects can feel like climbing a mountain. Different industries. Different expectations. Different realities.
But here’s the truth: No two projects are ever the same whether it is ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17024, ISO/IEC 17065, or ISO/IEC 17029.
And if you treat them that way, the project will fail.
Over the years, I have built a way of approaching projects that makes the complexity manageable without losing sight of the people, the risks, and the bigger picture.
Here’s how I do it.
1. Context Before Clauses
Standards are written in the same language everywhere. Implementation is not.
So before I even open the standard, I study:
- The industry they operate in.
- The real reason they want accreditation.
- The resources they actually have.
Because if you don’t understand the “why” and the “where,” the “how” will collapse.
2. Translate Standards Into Business Language
Most employees see ISO as paperwork. That’s where I step in.
I translate clauses into their day-to-day reality:
- Clause 7.1 = “How do we capture client requirements without missing anything?”
- Clause 8.5 = “How do we fix problems permanently instead of patching them?”
When people connect the clause to their own challenges, they stop resisting—and start owning it.
3. Risk Before Process
I don’t design processes blindly. I map risks first.
That way we know:
- Where compliance might break.
- Where inefficiency already exists.
- Where risk can actually open new opportunities.
Risk mapping saves everyone from wasting effort on what doesn’t matter.
4. Layered Implementation
Instead of dumping everything at once, I use layers:
- Foundation – Mandatory policies, governance, compliance.
- Operational – Procedures, records, documentation flow.
- Cultural – Training, engagement, ownership.
This way, people see progress and momentum keeps building.
5. Internal Audit as Simulation
Internal audits are not about catching people out.
I turn them into simulation practice runs for accreditation. Teams experience what external auditors will look for, in a safe space.
By the time the real audit comes, they’re confident, not anxious.
6. Collaboration Over Transaction
ISO projects succeed when people are involved in early management and technicians alike.
This is not about “handing over documents.” It’s about creating ownership. That’s how standards move from being a project to becoming part of culture.
7. The Continuous Lens
Certification is not the end. It is just the checkpoint.
Real success is when organizations:
- Sustain their system in crisis and growth.
- Use ISO as a strategy tool, not just compliance.
- Keep improving because that’s the spirit of standards.
Complex ISO projects are not solved with templates alone. They are solved with mindset, method, and collaboration.
That is the breakdown I live by. Follow Jasmin Dhakaanto know more about accreditation standards.
