ISO 9000 Family ... Facts and Fiction
There are volumes of information about the ISO 9000 Family being shared by people who claim to be knowledgeable and experienced. But, is their information legitimate or is it just the latest flavor of the month? And....what is the ISO 9000 Family anyway?
What is the ISO 9000 Family?
The ISO 9000 Family sets out the mandate for establishing, documenting and maintaining an effective quality management system.
Its purpose is to demonstrate an organization's commitment to quality, their capability to satisfy customer requirements and ultimately to achieve total customer satisfaction through the prevention of error and continual improvement.
The ISO 9000 Family, its principles and disciplines, are accepted and recognized world wide as a sound basis for quality management systems.
Is the ISO 9000 Family for manufacturers only, or can it be applied to service industries?
ISO 9001 is a Standard designed to assist organizations in quality management systems in all industry sectors and disciplines.
Does ISO 9000 conformance guarantee good product or service quality to the customer?
ISO 9001 conformance gives an organization the capabilities and tools to implement continual improvement programs, that will ultimately translate into good product and service quality. ISO 9001 and any subsequent certification, guarantees nothing. Only the organization, itself, is able to ensure product or service quality.
Does the ISO 9001 Standard dictate to the organization how to conduct their business?
ISO 9001 is an expansion of sound business practices only. These practices are enhanced with quality assurance disciplines. The ISO 9001 Standard must be implemented to work for and support the organization and it's activities; the organization must not work for ISO 9001!
Is ISO 9001 difficult to implement?
ISO 9001 is a simple common sense standard set down on paper in an organized way. ISO 9001 provides the framework to direct, coordinate and control each activity from design, development and production through to installation and servicing. with proper planning, each section can be implemented easily and cost effectively.
ISO 9001 implementation is an investment into the future. Its disciplines create a useful and demonstrable structure from which continual improvement programs can be implemented and processed. The monies spent on implementing and maintaining the disciplines of ISO 9001 are recovered when the organization uses the standard as intended... a tool for continual improvement. If an organization chose to implement the ISO 9001 disciplines and not use this new tool, it may become a very expensive "White Elephant"... a mere piece of paper on the wall.
Ashbrooke Quality Assurance is an international quality management consultancy specializing in ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 17025 and related quality systems training. Through training and consulting services, we assist organizations through the registration or accreditation process.
Our activities extend from Canada to Europe to Asia to Africa to Middle East.
Ashbrooke Quality Assurance Ltd. | British Columbia | Canada
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