Quality Assurance and ISO 9000

Worldwide standards

The ISO 9000 series of worldwide standards provide a set of requirements for a Quality Management System.

Many countries have their own series of standards. 

Again many countries have standards for Quality Management Systems. 

Over the last decade or so ISO 9000 has been adopted as the de facto standard with a nation's own standard being made identical to ISO9000.

To be recognised as having a Quality Management System to the standard of ISO9000, the organisation has to be certified by a recognised third party organisation. 

This process requires site visits and assessments. 

Following the initial certification a process of ongoing audit takes place to ensure the system is maintained.

Hundreds of thousands of organisations have achieved certification in nearly 150 countries.

The standard grew from the need to give purchasing organisations some guidelines and frameworks to assess the organisations supplying them with goods and services.

Following a substantial revision in 2000 the standards now focus on process and outputs and four key principles:

• Quality Management including:
  • Customer focus
  • Customer satisfaction measurement
• Quality Performance including
  • Process measurement
  • Data and information management
• Quality Improvement including:
  • Process and Customer performance
• Top Management Commitment including
  • Maintenance and improvement of the quality system itself
  • Communication and engagement
  • Quality Policy
  • Quality objectives and reviews

The ISO 9000 standard is a series of standards:

• ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems: Fundamental and Vocabulary
• ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems: Requirements
• ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems: Guidance for Performance Improvement
• ISO 19011 Guidelines for Auditing and Environmental Management Systems

In many places the old pre 2000 revision got a bad press as it was seen as bureaucratic and focused just on procedures. 

It still requires a well structured management system but has moved to a focus on processes and customer satisfaction.

As a result, many organisations find the framework and guidance provided by the standard as merely a base level which they must meet to ensure the have a robust fabric in place for quality management.  In addition, many organisations use the standards as a way of giving substance and focus to a new quality journey.  They benefit from being able to benchmark and visit non-competitive organisations who have already achieved the standard and thereby learn what is required and the benefits.

The additional benefit is that it shows a level of commitment to quality to the external customer and is recognised in many countries.

In some countries having the standard is seen as a pre-requisite to be a supplier to the government.

Another benefit particularly for those starting a quality journey is that it flags waste and improvement opportunity and gives momentum to customer focus, process improvement and consistency.

Review your country's quality standards as away of starting your quality journey or use it as a checklist of requirements against the systems you have in place today