ISO 9001 forms part of a broader suite of international standards relating to the requirements, implementation, and maintenance of a Quality Management System. These standards offer guidance and tools for organisations wishing to ensure that their products and services consistently meet their customers’ requirements and for continual improvement.
Are there other quality standards?
The standards contained within the ISO 9000 family are:
- ISO 9000:2005 Quality management systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary
- ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems – Requirements
- ISO 9004:2009 Managing for the sustained success of an organisation – a quality management approach
- ISO 19011:2011 Guidelines for auditing management systems
What does ISO 9001 do?
Specifically, ISO 9001 outlines the requirements an organisation needs to fulfil in order to have an effective Quality Management System. It has been designed with flexibility in mind, allowing it to be applied to all organisations, large or small, and irrespective of their field of business.
Why should you comply with ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 helps to ensure that customers receive consistent, quality products and services, which in turn can add a number of benefits to any organisation.
ISO 9001 is currently used in over 1 million organisations, spanning 170 countries world-wide.
Maintaining an audit programme is an integral part of ISO 9001 – organisations must conduct internal audits as a requirement of ISO 9001 in order to examine the effectiveness of their Quality Management System. These audits are to be conducted by competent people – those trained in auditing.
Additionally, organisations may choose to have their QMS certified by an independent certification body to confirm an organisation’s compliance with ISO 9001.
