ISO 9000

AN INTRODUCTION

ISO 9000 is sweeping the world. It is rapidly becoming the most important quality standard. Thousands of companies in over 100 countries have already adopted it, and many more are in the process of doing so. Why? Because it controls quality. It saves money. Customers expect it. And competitors use it.

ISO 9000 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn't matter what size they are or what they do. It can help both product and service oriented organizations achieve standards of quality that are recognized and respected throughout the world.

What is ISO9000?

The term ISO9000 refers to a set of quality management standards. ISO9000 currently includes three quality standards: ISO 9000:2005, ISO 9001:2000, and ISO 9004:2000.  ISO 9001:2000 presents requirements, while ISO 9000:2005 and ISO 9004:2000 present guidelines.  All of these are process standards (not product standards).

ISO's purpose is to facilitate international trade by providing a single set of standards that people everywhere would recognize and respect.

The ISO 9000 2000 Standards apply to all kinds of organizations in all kinds of areas. Some of these areas include manufacturing, processing, servicing, printing, forestry, electronics, steel, computing, legal services, financial services, accounting, trucking, banking, retailing, drilling, recycling, aerospace, construction, exploration, textiles, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, publishing, shipping, energy, telecommunications, plastics, metals, research, health care, hospitality, utilities, pest control, aviation, machine tools, food processing, agriculture, government, education, recreation, fabrication, sanitation, software development, consumer products, transportation, design, instrumentation, tourism, communications, biotechnology, chemicals, engineering, farming, entertainment, horticulture, consulting, insurance, and so on.

How does ISO 9000 Work?

Here's how it works. You decide that you need to develop a quality management system that meets the new quality standard. That's your mission. You choose to follow this path because you feel the need to control or improve the quality of your products and services, to reduce the costs associated with poor quality, or to become more competitive.  Or, you choose this path simply because your customers expect you to do so or because a governmental body has made it mandatory. You then develop a quality management system that meets the requirements specified by ISO 9001:2000 (ISO 9002 and 9003 have been dropped).

In the course of doing so, you may also wish to consult the ISO 9000:2005 and ISO 9004:2000 guidelines. However, please remember that your quality management system must meet ISO's requirements, not its guidelines. 

But how do you develop such a quality management system? There are at least two approaches. You can do either a Gap Analysis or follow a detailed System Development Plan.

If you've already got a quality management system and you're happy with the way it operates, then we suggest that you use a Gap Analysis to upgrade to the new ISO 9001 2000 standard. A Gap Analysis will tell you exactly what you need to do to meet the ISO 9001 2000 Quality Management Standard. It will help you identify the gaps that exist between the new ISO Standard and your organization's processes. Once you know where the gaps are, you can take steps to fill your gaps. By following this incremental approach, you will not only comply with the new ISO 9001 Standard, but you will also improve the overall performance of your organization's processes.

However, if you don't have a quality management system or you're not happy with the one you've got, then we suggest that you use our ISO 9001 2000 Process Oriented Quality Management System Development Plan to develop your quality management system. If you follow the detailed steps that make up our System Development Plan, you'll end up with a quality management system that will meet your needs and ISO's requirements.

Once your quality management system has been fully developed and implemented, you carry out an Internal Audit to ensure that you've met every single ISO 9001 2000 requirement.

When you're ready, you ask a Registrar to audit the effectiveness of your quality management system. If your auditors like what they see, they will certify that your quality system has met ISO's requirements. They will then issue an official certificate to you and they will record your achievement in their registry.

You can then announce to the world that the quality of your products and services is managed, controlled, and assured by a registered ISO 9001 Quality Management System!

However, you don't have to be registered. ISO does not require formal registration (certification). You can be in compliance without being registered by an accredited auditor. But, your customers are more likely to believe that you have an effective quality management system if an independent external auditor says so.

Why is ISO 9000 Important?

ISO 9000 is important because of its orientation. While the content itself is useful and important, the content alone does not account for its widespread appeal.

ISO 9000 is important because of its international orientation. Currently, ISO 9000 is supported by national standards bodies from more than 120 countries. This makes it the logical choice for any organization that does business internationally or that serves customers who demand an international standard of quality.

ISO is also important because of its systemic orientation. We think this is crucial. Many people in this field wrongly emphasize motivational and attitudinal factors. The assumption is that quality can only be created if workers are motivated and have the right attitude. This is fine, but it doesn't go far enough. Unless you institutionalize the right attitude by supporting it with the right policies, procedures, records, technologies, resources, and structures, you will never achieve the standards of quality that other organizations seem to be able to achieve. Unless you establish a quality attitude by creating a quality system, you will never achieve a world-class standard of quality.

Simply put, if you want to have a quality attitude you must have a quality system. This is what ISO recognizes, and this is why ISO 9000 is important.

ISO 9000 2000 Principles