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What are ISO 9000 and ISO 9001?
International Standards for Quality Assurance
ISO 9000 is a set of five universal standards for a Quality Assurance system that is accepted world-wide. Currently 90 countries have adopted ISO 9000 as national standards. When a product or service is purchased from a company that is registered to the appropriate ISO 9000 standard, the quality is assured.
The most comprehensive of the standards is ISO 9001. It applies to industries involved in design and development, manufacturing, installation and servicing of products. The standards apply uniformly to companies in any industry and of any size.
Why are the Standards so Important?
Many companies require their suppliers to become ISO 9001 registered. As a result registered companies find that their market opportunities are increased. In addition, a company's compliance with ISO 9001 indicates that it has a sound Quality Assurance system.
Benefits for registered companies include:
Dramatic reductions in customer complaints
Significant reductions in operating costs
Increased demand for their products and services.
ISO 9000 registration is rapidly becoming essential for companies trading in Europe. Many industrial companies require their suppliers to be ISO registered. ISO 9000 is on course to become the universally accepted international standard.
Source of information: www.isoeasy.org
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