What is ISO 9000?
The ISO 9000 series of international quality management standards and guidelines has earned a global reputation as the basis for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9000 is a generic system that specifies, in very broad terms, the necessary components of a quality management system. Rather than being specific to any one industry, it details the basic requirements of the quality function for all industries.
Developed and issued in 1987, by Technical Committee (TC) 176 of ISO, ISO 9000 is a series of voluntary international standards that serve as a method for establishing and maintaining a quality management system (QMS) for organisations involved in manufacturing products or providing services.
The series is revised every five years to ensure that standards keep pace with management practices and technological advances. The last revision came out in the year 2000. The standard is called ISO 9001:2000.
The family of 20 standards in the ISO 9000 series was reduced to 4 Quality Management systems during the December 2000 revision. They are:
* ISO 9000: Fundamentals and vocabulary
* ISO 9001: Requirements
* ISO 9004: Guidelines for performance improvements
* ISO 19011: Guidelines for auditing Management Systems (intended to be applicable to both environmental system and quality system auditing)
ISO 9001:2000 specifies requirements for a quality management system for any organization that needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 9001:2000 has been organised in a user-friendly format with terms that are easily recognised by all business sectors. The standard is used for certification/registration and contractual purposes by organisations seeking recognition of their quality management system.
ISO 9001: 2000 is based on eight Quality Management principles:
* Customer focused organization
* Leadership
* Involvement of people
* Process approach
*System approach to management
* Continual improvement
* Factual approach to decision
*Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
These eight principles manifest themselves through the four main clauses:
* Management Responsibility – defining requirements
* Resource Management – determine and establish necessary resources
* Product Realization – establish and implement processes
* Measurement, Analysis And Improvement – of results
These main clauses are structured around the plan-do-check-act cycle.
Most new users obtain measurable benefits early in the process of deploying the standard requirements in their operations. These initial benefits are generally due to improvements in their organization and internal communication. The benefits must be strengthened through effective internal auditing and management review of system performance. Like all systems, it either improves or becomes less effective. It does not remain static for long.
When you adopt ISO 9001:2000, you strive for the satisfaction of your customers and the continual improvement of your quality management system. Continual improvement is a process of increasing the effectiveness of your organization to fulfill your quality policy and your quality objectives. ISO 9001:2000 necessitates that you plan and manage the processes necessary for the continual improvement of your quality management system.
Benefits of ISO 9000
Many businesses in the past few years began the journey toward ISO 9000 certification because they were worried that if they weren't certified they would have trouble doing business in the EU. Others faced the prospect of losing key customers in North America. But as those companies developed a quality management system to fulfill requirements of the ISO 9000 standards, they discovered a wide range of internal benefits that they hadn't anticipated. Among the most commonly cited were these:
* Operating costs drop as rework is reduced
* Warranty and after-sales support costs fall, and efficiencies increase
*Employee training processes improve as databases of the necessary skills and procedures for getting jobs done properly are developed
* Employees become more responsive to customer needs and requirements
*Business procedures and processes finally become standardised
*People communicate better because organizational boundaries tend to break down as people work together across functions and levels
*Increased productivity occurs as the correct information; equipment, tools and documentation are put into place
*The sales force gains greater confidence
*Operations become more efficient
* Customer satisfaction grows, increasing job security for your employees and profitability for your company
These are just a few of the powerful benefits gained by businesses that have built a solid foundation for business excellence through the ISO 9000 series of quality management and quality assurance standards.
In short, ISO 9000 gives you the tools to grow a better business. And it really works. Businesses both large and small have discovered that the ISO 9000 series is a powerful strategic tool for achieving new opportunities and improved competitiveness. But you don't have to be a multinational corporation or have business overseas to benefit from implementing these standards. It's for businesses large and small, wherever they may be. If you want to improve your business internally and seek marketplace recognition of your product or service quality, ISO 9000 is a valuable tool you won't want to be without.
The ISO 9000 series of international quality management standards and guidelines has earned a global reputation as the basis for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9000 is a generic system that specifies, in very broad terms, the necessary components of a quality management system. Rather than being specific to any one industry, it details the basic requirements of the quality function for all industries.
Developed and issued in 1987, by Technical Committee (TC) 176 of ISO, ISO 9000 is a series of voluntary international standards that serve as a method for establishing and maintaining a quality management system (QMS) for organisations involved in manufacturing products or providing services.
The series is revised every five years to ensure that standards keep pace with management practices and technological advances. The last revision came out in the year 2000. The standard is called ISO 9001:2000.
The family of 20 standards in the ISO 9000 series was reduced to 4 Quality Management systems during the December 2000 revision. They are:
* ISO 9000: Fundamentals and vocabulary
* ISO 9001: Requirements
* ISO 9004: Guidelines for performance improvements
* ISO 19011: Guidelines for auditing Management Systems (intended to be applicable to both environmental system and quality system auditing)
ISO 9001:2000 specifies requirements for a quality management system for any organization that needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 9001:2000 has been organised in a user-friendly format with terms that are easily recognised by all business sectors. The standard is used for certification/registration and contractual purposes by organisations seeking recognition of their quality management system.
ISO 9001: 2000 is based on eight Quality Management principles:
* Customer focused organization
* Leadership
* Involvement of people
* Process approach
*System approach to management
* Continual improvement
* Factual approach to decision
*Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
These eight principles manifest themselves through the four main clauses:
* Management Responsibility – defining requirements
* Resource Management – determine and establish necessary resources
* Product Realization – establish and implement processes
* Measurement, Analysis And Improvement – of results
These main clauses are structured around the plan-do-check-act cycle.
Most new users obtain measurable benefits early in the process of deploying the standard requirements in their operations. These initial benefits are generally due to improvements in their organization and internal communication. The benefits must be strengthened through effective internal auditing and management review of system performance. Like all systems, it either improves or becomes less effective. It does not remain static for long.
When you adopt ISO 9001:2000, you strive for the satisfaction of your customers and the continual improvement of your quality management system. Continual improvement is a process of increasing the effectiveness of your organization to fulfill your quality policy and your quality objectives. ISO 9001:2000 necessitates that you plan and manage the processes necessary for the continual improvement of your quality management system.
Benefits of ISO 9000
Many businesses in the past few years began the journey toward ISO 9000 certification because they were worried that if they weren't certified they would have trouble doing business in the EU. Others faced the prospect of losing key customers in North America. But as those companies developed a quality management system to fulfill requirements of the ISO 9000 standards, they discovered a wide range of internal benefits that they hadn't anticipated. Among the most commonly cited were these:
* Operating costs drop as rework is reduced
* Warranty and after-sales support costs fall, and efficiencies increase
*Employee training processes improve as databases of the necessary skills and procedures for getting jobs done properly are developed
* Employees become more responsive to customer needs and requirements
*Business procedures and processes finally become standardised
*People communicate better because organizational boundaries tend to break down as people work together across functions and levels
*Increased productivity occurs as the correct information; equipment, tools and documentation are put into place
*The sales force gains greater confidence
*Operations become more efficient
* Customer satisfaction grows, increasing job security for your employees and profitability for your company
These are just a few of the powerful benefits gained by businesses that have built a solid foundation for business excellence through the ISO 9000 series of quality management and quality assurance standards.
In short, ISO 9000 gives you the tools to grow a better business. And it really works. Businesses both large and small have discovered that the ISO 9000 series is a powerful strategic tool for achieving new opportunities and improved competitiveness. But you don't have to be a multinational corporation or have business overseas to benefit from implementing these standards. It's for businesses large and small, wherever they may be. If you want to improve your business internally and seek marketplace recognition of your product or service quality, ISO 9000 is a valuable tool you won't want to be without.