Industry Safeguards - Accreditation - ISO 9000

WHAT IS ISO 9000?

The term ISO 9000 refers to a set of quality management standards. At present ISO 9000 includes three quality standards: ISO 9000:2000, ISO 9001:2000, and ISO 9004:2000. ISO 9001:2000 sets out requirements, while ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 9004:2000 set out guidelines

All of these are process or operating standards and not product standards referring to specific products. ISO's purpose is to facilitate international trade by providing a single set of standards that people everywhere can recognise and respect.

The ISO 9000:2000 Standards apply to all kinds of organisations in all kinds of product and service sectors.

HOW DOES ISO 9000 WORK?

You decide that you need to develop a quality management system that meets the new Quality Standards. You need to control or improve the quality of your products and services, to reduce the costs associated with poor quality, or to become more competitive. Or you adopt the system because your customers expect you to do so or because a governmental body has made it mandatory. You then develop a quality management system that meets the requirements specified by ISO 9000:2000.

Once your quality management system has been fully developed and implemented, you carry out and internal audit to ensure that you have met all the requirements. After that you can arrange for your quality management system to be externally audited and accredited, although this is not essential. You can use your compliance as a marketing tool.

http://praxiom.com/iso-intro.htm
http://www.iso.org/iso/en/iso9000-14000/understand/inbrief.html
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