" The
mission of ISO is to promote development of standardization
and related activities in the world with a view to facilitate
the international exchange of goods and services, and
to develope cooperation in the spheres of intellectual,
scientific, technological and economic activity."
The
scope of ISO is not limited to any particular industry; it
covers all standardization fields except electrical and electronic
engineering. It may specify the tasks that a certain range
of equipment must be able to perform, or describe in detail
an apparatus and its safety features. ISO 9000 and Iso14000
are two of the most recognized standards series. The standards
embody comprehensive quality management concepts and guidance,
together with several models for external quality assurance
requirements. ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 9004:2000 are guidance
standards. They describe what is necessary to accomplish
the requirements outlined in the measured standard 9001:2000
(Which replaced 9002 & 9003 effective December 15, 2000)
Increasing public concern over the world's environment led
to a new set of standards in 1996.
What
is ISO 9000?
IQMS is
a premiere source for ISO 9000/9001 Training and Consulting
Services.
ISO 9000 is an International Quality System Standard. It started out as a European
Standard but has become a global quality standard that applies to any business
or country in the world.
ISO
9000 is rapidly becoming the most popular quality standard
in the world. Thousands of organizations have already adopted
this important standard, and many more are in the process
of doing so.
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.
When
you purchase a product or service from an organization that
is registered to the appropriate ISO 9000 standard, you have
important assurances that the quality of what you receive
will be as you expect. In addition, with the year 2000 revision
of the standard, quality objectives, continual improvement,
and monitoring of customer satisfaction provide the customer
with increased assurances that their needs and expectations
will be met.
Here's
how it works. You decide that you need to develop a quality
system that meets the ISO 9000 standards. You choose to follow
this path because you feel the need to control 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 regulatory body has made it mandatory.
You
then develop a quality system that meets the ISO 9001 quality
system requirements. In the course of doing so, you also
consider ISO's many guidelines.
Once your quality system has been developed and implemented, you carry out
an internal audit to make sure your system is working properly.
Then
you invite an accredited external auditor (registrar) to
evaluate the effectiveness of your quality system. If your
auditors like what they see, they will certify that your
quality system has met all of 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 9000
quality system. |
