SA Commercial was among the first BPOs to reach this high standard set via ISO 9001 & ISO 27001 accreditation. This early-adoption of an effective quality management and data security framework, has served us well and provides our clients with huge comfort and confidence from a security standpoint knowing that their data is protected and secure. During the first year of the pandemic, our ISO policies and procedures proved their worth and ensured uninterrupted business continuity and data integrity. This is further evidenced by the fact that SA Commercial has obtained the most recent version of the ISO IEC 27001. This provides a future proof system until new additions are available on this standard.
Implementing ISO27001 – the standard for information security management:
SA Commercial became ISO27001 accredited in 2014 which is one of the international standards that ensures information assets are secure through policies, processes and systems. This was done not only to improve the way that we process and handle information for the company and our clients, but also to provide comfort to our clients that their information is protected by the highest standards of all time.
The key to ISO and all of its standards are continuous awareness and practice of the associated policies, processes and systems that are regularly implemented. SA Commercial is kept in the loop regarding these changes through frequent receipt of policies on a recurring schedule. In so doing, we ensure that all employees are constantly kept aware of the dos and don’ts outlined in the policies.
We have implemented strict restrictions on various business systems and applications. These are:
- Blocking of MASS storage devices on all workstations
- Care restrictions on sending external emails
- Restrictions of internet break-out
- Role-based access to information
- Password policies are implemented with Multi-Factor Authentication to allow for the highest security
- Sensitive information is only transferred using our Secure File Transfer Protocol (STFP) platform
- Mobile devices with SA Commercial applications are protected by our Mobile Device Management platform. This allows us to not only remotely wipe a mobile device when needed, but much more.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN) use with additional username and passwords for remote work.
On our premises we physically comply to the ISO IEC 27001 processes to ensure security is safeguarded at our office. Of course, when the pandemic struck, data security was a top priority and when we moved to a remote working model, all the required system measures, policies and procedures were already in place. We simply had to re-iterate the requirements of all the policies to our employees and ensure continuous awareness.
Implementing ISO 9001 – the Quality Management System standard:
SA Commercial’s management and staff are committed to continually strive to meet specific customer needs, expectations and requirements. This was achieved through the implementation, adoption and maintenance of our Quality Management System that is aligned to ISO 9001 Quality Management System. As such, we as a business are committed to the following principals:
- Promoting a culture and philosophy of continual improvement and striving towards doing the right job the first time
- Enhancing our staff and management’s skills through ongoing review of skills and competence and an active training policy.
- Continually reviewing our operation within the context of the environment within which we operate and ensure that we take into account the needs and expectations of all interested parties
- Adopting a process of continual risk monitoring to ensure internal and external risks are timeously identified, recorded and reviewed with the intention of minimising business risk and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement
- Adhering to all applicable legal and regulatory requirements at all times.
With these two ISO accreditations in place, our clients can be sure of having peace of mind that their information and data is stringently protected across the business. This puts SA Commercial firmly on the local and global map, as clients seek business partners who are up-to-date with the latest rules and practices.