ISO 9000 - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION

ANSWER

"The ISO logo is a registered trademark. Unless authorized by ISO, use
of its logo is prohibited. Notably, ISO will not allow its logo to be used
in connection with conformity assessment activities. These include the
certification of management systems, products, services, materials or
personnel, even when these certifications attest conformity to an ISO
standard, such as one of the ISO 9000 or ISO 14000 series. Examples
of unacceptable use of the ISO logo would include use on products,
on Internet sites, in marketing materials, advertisements and company
letterheads. ...ISO will take whatever actions it considers necessary
to prevent the misuse of its logo."

The above answer is taken from the following ISO web page:
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/xsite/namelogo.html

QUESTION

May I use the ISO name?

ANSWER

"Within the context of international standardization or related activities
(such as conformity assessment - including certification, consultancy,
or training) "ISO" (or "iso") is the short name of the International
Organization for Standardization. The name is registered within this
context as the sole property of ISO and the Organization will protect
its name on behalf of all ISO’s members .... In particular, ISO will not
authorize the use of the name "ISO" ("or iso") by any organization other
than its members in Internet domain names. Such use could mislead third
parties into believing that the organization concerned represents ISO, or
has been approved or authorized to act on behalf of ISO. Therefore, ISO
will take whatever actions it considers necessary to prevent the misuse
of its name".

The above answer is taken from the following ISO web page:
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/xsite/namelogo.html

So, if your company's domain name contains the word "iso",
you might want to move your web pages to a new domain,
and you might want to do it ASAP!

If you think ISO is just blowing smoke, think again. ISO has already
shut down some unauthorized websites. See ISO's copyright policy.

QUESTION

May I copy the ISO standards?

ANSWER

The short answer is: NO. The long answer is: "All ISO publications are
protected by copyright. Therefore and unless otherwise specified, no part
of an ISO publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilm,
scanning, without permission in writing from the publisher."

The above quote is taken from the following ISO page:
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/xsite/copyright.html

For more information, and to receive permission to use
an ISO publication, please visit the above page.

QUESTION

Why should we get ISO 9001 certified?

ANSWER

The purpose of ISO 9001 is to assure customers that suppliers can
provide quality products and services. It is intended to serve the needs
of customers. ISO 9001 is for customers. Supplier needs are secondary.
So, why would you want to become ISO 9001 certified? We recommend
that you become ISO 9001 certified if you meet at least one of the
following conditions:

• You need to control the quality of your products and services.
• You need to reduce the costs associated with poor quality.
• Your customers want you to become certified.
• Your markets expect you to be certified.
• Your competitors are already certified.

QUESTION

Will ISO 9001 improve our financial performance?

ANSWER

ISO 9001 can improve your company's financial performance if it is
properly implemented. An ISO 9001 Quality Management System can
help you to improve your bottom line because it can reduce the costs
associated with poor quality (the cost of repairs, rework, complaints,
returns, warranty work, law suits, etc.). And, of course, if ISO 9001
helps you keep your old customers and attract new ones, it will
certainly improve your financial performance.

QUESTION

Will ISO 9001 certify the quality of my products and services?

ANSWER

No. IS0 9001 will not certify the quality of your products and services.
That's because it's a process standard, not a product standard. When
an organization gets ISO 9001 certified, it means that its quality
management processes have met ISO's requirements.

This also means that your packaging, advertising, and marketing
documents and programs must not imply or suggest that the quality
of your products and services have been ISO 9001 certified.

QUESTION

Does the ISO 9001 standard apply to my organization?

ANSWER

Yes it does. That's because it's a generic standard. It applies to all
kinds of organizations. It doesn't matter what they do or how big they
are. They can be product oriented or service oriented. The standard
works the same in all cases.

NOTE: ISO published the ISO 9001 2008 standard on November 15, 2008.
This means that most ISO 9001 books, ebooks, web pages, and articles
published before November 15, 2008 are out-of-date and technically
obsolete. They should, therefore, be ignored.

QUESTION

Does ISO issue ISO 9001 certificates?

ANSWER

No. ISO does not issue ISO 9001 certificates of any kind. "ISO is not an
auditor, assessor, registrar, or certifier of management systems, products,
services, materials or personnel, nor does it endorse any such activities
performed by other parties. ISO develops International Standards but
does not operate any schemes for assessing conformance with them".*

*Per: http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/xsite/namelogo.html

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First published on October 24, 2001. Updated on November 30, 2011.

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BACK TO FAQ	*Answers to "OTHER" Questions about ISO 9000*