Results of the 2010-11 ISO User Survey are reported in the current issue (December, 2011) of ISO Focus+. The survey was coordinated by TC 176, subcommittee SC2 and had 11,722 respondents from around the world. The full survey can be downloaded from the ISO website. Some of the findings that caught my attention follow.
Factors influencing certification. The three largest drivers that influence the decision to pursue certification are: customer satisfaction (4,222); market need (3,689); and, mandated customer requirements (3,290). These findings are consistent with what I have been seeing with my clients, in particular customer mandated requirements for integrated EHS management systems.
Important benefits of applying ISO 9001 in an organization. Customer satisfaction was the top response (5,886) as would be expected with 9001. Of interest is that many of the top responses also point to value with business process improvements, including: standard business process (5,821); increased management commitment (4,125); and more effective management reviews (3,975).
EHS auditing is a dynamic process that requires stakeholder input for success. Speakers emphasized this point during a breakout session at the 19th Annual NAEM Forum, which focused on the innovative practices that several companies are using to deliver maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
I attended an excellent session this afternoon at the 19th Annual NAEM Forum on management of change (MOC), during which speakers presented sound advice and insights regarding EHS/S MOC management issues. Some highlights are below.
In the sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) “space” there is increasing pressure to report on triple-bottom-line issues through reporting frameworks, such as the 
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