Iso 9001

Selection and use of the ISO 9000 family of standards

ISO and international standardization

ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance

ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. It has a membership of 158 * national standards institutes from countries large and small, industrialized and developing, in all regions of the world, ISO develops voluntary technicalstandards which add value to all types of business operations. They contribute to the dissemination of technology and good business practice. They support the development, manufacturing and supply of more efficient, safer and cleaner products and services. They make trade between countries easier and fairer. ISO standards also safeguard users and consumers, and make many aspects of their livessimpler. ISO develops only those standards that are required by the market. This work is carried out by experts coming from the industrial, technical and business sectors which have asked for the standard, and which subsequently put them to use. These experts may be joined by others with relevant knowledge, such as representatives of government agencies, consumer organizations, academia and testinglaboratories. Published under the designation of International Standards, ISO standards represent an international consensus on the state of the art in the technology or good practice concerned. ISO’s portfolio of more than 17 800 * standards and related documents addresses all three dimensions of sustainable development : economic, environmental and social.

ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176 isresponsible for the ISO 9000 family of standards for quality management and quality assurance. National delegations of 81 * countries participate in its work, while another 21 * countries have observer status.

* Mid-January 2009.

Selection and use of the ISO 9000 family of standards

The standard can be used for certification/registration and contractual purposes by organizations seekingrecognition of their quality management system. ISO 9001 has been organized in a user-friendly format with terms that are easily recognized by all business sectors. You will obtain the greatest value by using the entire family of standards in an integrated manner. It is highly recommended that you use ISO 9000 to become familiar with the basic concepts and the language used before you adopt ISO9001 to achieve a first level of performance. The practices described in ISO 9004 may then be implemented to make your quality management system more effective and efficient in achieving your business goals and objectives. The ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards have been written to enable you to relate them to other management systems (e.g. environmental), or to sector specific requirements (such asISO/TS 16949 in the automotive industry) and to assist you in gaining recognition through national or regional award programmes.

The ISO 9000 family of international quality management standards and guidelines has earned a global reputation as a basis for establishing effective and efficient quality management systems. The need for International Standards is very important as more organizationsoperate in the global economy by selling or buying products and services from sources outside their domestic market. This brochure has been developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, which is responsible for developing and maintaining the ISO 9000 family. Supporting guideline standards and other documents are developed and updated on a continual basisto meet the needs and expectations of users and the market itself. The brochure explains how you can use them to improve your quality management system. It provides a general perspective of the ISO 9000 family of standards. It is an overview of the standards and demonstrates how, collectively, they form a basis for continual improvement and business excellence. ISO 9001 specifies the basic...