ISO 9000 - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION

May I use the ISO logo?

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 9000 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.


QUESTION	Does ISO issue ISO 9000 certificates?
ANSWER	No. ISO does not issue ISO 9000 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".* * See: http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/xsite/namelogo.html

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