This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
2025.06.18
System certification – structure that strengthens operations
TK System Certification within Swetic brings together experts from the industry to follow, interpret and influence the development of management system standards. The committee works to increase knowledge, monitor trends and contribute to certification in Sweden being carried out in a quality-assured, transparent and relevant way. We asked a few questions to Cecilia Fransson, convener of the Technical Committee System Certification.
What is system certification?
– System certification is about ensuring that an organization has a structured way of working to meet certain requirements – for example in quality, environment, work environment or information security. It is not a product that is certified, but the system itself for how to manage and develop the business. An independent party (a certification body) reviews whether the organization meets the requirements of a certain standard, and if everything is in place, a certificate is issued.
What do you do in your technical committee?
– Our technical committee brings together experts from different parts of the industry to monitor and discuss how standards affect us and our customers. We share experiences, follow developments in different areas and help to interpret and sometimes influence future areas. It is a place where theory meets practice – and where we together raise the level of expertise in system certification.
What standards do you work with?
– We work with a wide range of standards. The most common are ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for the environment, ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security. But new and more specialized standards are also emerging all the time – for example in sustainability or social responsibility.
How can certification contribute to innovation or business development in your opinion?
– A good management system is not a brake – quite the opposite. It creates structure, clarity and measurability, which frees up the power to improve and think new things. By working with continuous improvements, you also get a natural engine for innovation. I have seen many examples where the certification journey has led to better customer focus, more efficient processes – and more satisfied customers who actually get what they asked for in a high quality but which is also environmentally friendly or not environmentally destructive.
What challenges do you see with applying standards in different industries – are there any areas where it is particularly difficult or complex?
– Yes, absolutely. Some industries have rapid rates of change or very specific regulations that can clash with general standards. In the IT sector, for example, it is often a challenge to achieve sufficient flexibility without losing control. Even small companies can sometimes feel that the requirements are too heavy to bear. In this case, it is important to have a pragmatic and business-oriented interpretation – it is the system that should be adapted to the business, not the other way around.
Do you see any clear trends in which standards are becoming more important for companies to certify against?
– Yes, several. Sustainability and social responsibility are becoming increasingly important. Information security is also a hot area, especially with increased digitalization and new threats. In addition, we see that many companies want to demonstrate a holistic approach, where they integrate several areas into a common management system.
Fact box
All members of Swetics are accredited by the authority Swedac, which ensures that accredited certification bodies work impartially and competently according to national and international requirements. Accredited certification bodies have an important role in maintaining trust in certifications in Sweden. Standards are developed through collaboration between experts from different countries and industries. To be certified, the customer must implement the requirements in the business and be audited by an accredited certification body. Documentation, a systematic approach and knowledge are required to demonstrate that the organization follows its management system in practice.
