ISO 9000 Series of International Standards for Quality Management Systems (QMS)

This series requires the implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS) in accordance with internationally recognized standards. A QMS is a well documented, common sense system that ensures consistency and improvement of working practices. This includes products and services within an organisation. The ISO 9000 series is a family of standards developed to provide a framework around which a quality management system of procedures can be effectively based. It is the most commonly used international framework of standards comprising a number of different standards (ISO 9000, ISO 9001 and ISO 9004), each covering a different facet of the whole.  

ISO 9000 has proved universally popular and successful in standardizing quality standards across the world. In the year 2000, WTO requirements showed the need for these standards to be upgraded and ISO has confirmed that eventually one system standard will specify the fundamental requirements for any business management system so that it can be relied upon to fulfil all objectives and obligations.  The changes to ISO 9001 are the next step to a merger with the ISO 14000 Series on Environment.  

The amended structure of ISO 9001 - Transition.  

Only six documented procedures are specified in the transition.  The processes necessary to determine and meet customer requirements are to be planned, defined, resourced, controlled, verified and improved. Beyond system documentation, similar system requirements are regrouped into four sections. They are:  

Management Responsibility  (Plan)

Leaders are to demonstrate their commitment to the customer, policy, objectives, system effectiveness, improvement, reviews, resources and legal obligations. Management Representatives have to ensure awareness of customer requirements and the various levels and functions of the organization are also to know about the processes of the system and their effectiveness against measurable objectives.

Resource Management (Plan)

Skilled, knowledgeable, competent people must be available to ensure product conformance and must be aware of the importance of their work. The work environment must be identified and managed to achieve product conformance. Equipment and facilities must also be identified, provided and maintained to achieve conformity of product. 

Product Realization (Plan and Do)

The process approach is a specified requirement. Organizations are to show how customer needs are determined, translated into requirements and these requirements executed so that customers are satisfied.  Customer communication is also specified. Design control also applies to the design of the service element of products. 

Measurement, Analysis and Improvement (Verify and Act to Improve) Data now has to be collected and analyzed to identify where improvements can be made.  Customer satisfaction has to be determined and included in the analysis. Continuous improvement of system effectiveness is required and improvements should always be driven by the speed at which the business core process adds value in converting the needs of the customer into income for the business.