ISO 9000

ISO 9000 is the generic term for a series of standards sponsored by the International Organization for Standardization which specify the quality systems to be established by manufacturing and service firms. It is the descendant of, and almost directly parallel to, British standard BS-5750, and is identical in most respects to European standard EN-29000. In the United States it is called the American standard Q90, sponsored by the American Society for Quality Control.

ISO 9000 is a set of standards for quality management systems that is accepted around the world. Currently more than 90 countries have adopted ISO 9000 as national standards. 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.

The standard intended for quality management system assessment and registration is ISO 9001.  The ISO 9000 standard apply uniformly to organizations of any size or description.

Why is the ISO 9000 standard so Important? Many companies require their suppliers to become registered to ISO 9000 standard and because of this; registered companies find that their market opportunities have increased. In addition, a company's compliance with ISO 9000 standard insures that it has a sound quality management system, and that's good business.

Registered companies have had dramatic reductions in customer complaints, significant reductions in operating costs and increased demand for their products and services. Other benefits can include better working conditions, increased market share, and increased profits.

ISO 9000 standard registration is rapidly becoming a must for any company that does business in Europe. Many industrial companies require registration by their own suppliers. There is a growing trend toward universal acceptance of ISO 9000 standard as an international standard.

The ISO 9000 standard family of standards, originally adopted in 1987, was revised in 1994 and again in 2000. The new standards were adopted in December, 2000. These new standards cancel and replace the 1994 version of the standards. The most significant changes made in the 2000 version of ISO 9001. Organizations have until December, 2003 to complete the transition to the year 2000 version of the standard.