For organizations asking how to improve the quality of their products and services and consistently meet their customers’ expectations, we have an answer. Addressing various aspects of quality management and containing some of ISO’s best-known standards, there’s the ISO 9000 family.

Why ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system. It can be used by any organization, large or small, regardless of its field of activity. In fact, there are over one million companies and organizations in over 170 countries certified to ISO 9001.

This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. Using ISO 9001 helps ensure that customers get consistent, good-quality products and services, which in turn brings many business benefits.

Does my organization need certification to ISO 9001?

Checking that the system works is a vital part of ISO 9001. It is recommended that an organization performs internal audits to check how its quality management system is working. An organization may decide to invite an independent certification body to verify that it is in conformity to the standard. Alternatively, it might invite its clients to audit the quality system for themselves.

ISO 9001 specifies requirements for a quality management system when an organization:

• needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements,
• aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. All the requirements of ISO 9001 are generic and are intended to be applicable to any organization, regardless of its type or size, or the products and services it provides.

ISO 9001 is the best known of the ISO standards on quality, but there are many other standards that can help you reap the full benefits of a quality management system and put customer satisfaction at the heart of your business.

source: www.iso.org