ISO Standard in GS1 Croatia

Improving work procedures and raising service level to member companies has been a constant activity of GS1 Croatia Office. In line with that, at the beginning of 2005, a project of introducing the ISO 9001:2000 standard in the operations of GS1 Croatia Office was launched. A work group for project implementation was formed. It included four GS1 Croatia staff members.

The first activity of the work group was attending the Seminar for Internal Auditors held from May 10 - 11, 2005 in Zagreb, organized by the established international certifying authority "DET NORSKE VERITAS". The seminar was successful, and the participants gained the basic knowledge abut key elements in the quality system complying with the International Standard ISO 9001:2000. They thus acquired the title of Internal Auditor, enabling them for active participation in establishing a quality system, as well as for an internal evaluation of the system, which is one of the key elements in the standard.

Thereafter, in co-operation with a consulting agency for counseling and services related to the ISO Standard implementation, "FILIKON" from Zagreb, begun intensive activities on elaboration of the relevant documentation, and on adjusting certain work processes to the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard. The most demanding was producing a Quality Manual, the most important document related to introducing the ISO Standard, which documents all processes and activities within the management system, along with procedures, regulations and other documents. The Quality Manual clearly defines the scope and sequence of activities, related responsibilities, competences and surveillance methods, meaning that the quality of its elaboration also guarantees a correct implementation of the ISO Standard in business activities.

In addition to working on documentation, the work group put forth large efforts in aligning certain business procedures that additionally facilitate and enhance the Office work activities.

Since GS1 Croatia Office through its years-long activities established a quality management system, largely in conformity with the ISO 9001:2000 standard, its introducing went well, without any problems.

Through certification held on November 30 and December 2, 2005 the experts from "DET NORSKE VERITAS" assessed that the quality system was successfully implemented, in conformity with the international standard ISO 9001:2000. GS1 Croatia therefore acquired the Quality Management System Certificate (Certificate on the Compliance of the Quality Management System).

By certification held on November 14, 2009 a new version of ISO Standard, ISO 9001:2008 has been implemented into GS1 Croatia business procedure.

Introducing the ISO 9001:2008 Standard to GS1 Croatia guarantees that each query sent to the Office will be processed in the shortest possible time span, according to a strictly defined procedure, since the following two areas were emphasized in certification:

1. Documents and information circulation (processing inbound documentation, aligning and exchanging business information) and
2. Efficient processing of documents and data.

The assigned Certificate obliges GS1 Croatia not only to implement and enhance efficiency of the quality management system, based on the requirements of the international standard ISO 9001:2008, but also to take efforts to surpass the levels of those requirements, along with the consistent quality policy implementation, focused on the business needs of its member companies.