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ISO 9000
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (QMS)
ISO 9001 is a quality management system
standard created by the International Organization
for Standardization (ISO), a federation of 132
national standards bodies. The ISO 9001 quality
management systems (QMS) standards are not
specific to products or services, but apply to
the processes that create them. The standards
are generic in nature so that they can be used
by manufacturing and service industries anywhere
in the world. First released in 1987 and revised
in a limited manner in 1994, they underwent a
major overhaul in 2000 with minor adjustment in
2008.
- The most important revised standard, ISO
9001:2000, uses a simple process-based structure. ISO 9001:2008 addresses an
organization’s quality management system
requirements, in order to demonstrate its
capability to meet customer requirements, and
applies to all generic product categories, such as
hardware, software, processed materials and
services.
- ISO 9001:2008 registration gives the
organization the benefit of an objectively
evaluated and enforced quality management system.
It is a tangible expression of a firm’s commitment
to quality that is internationally understood and
accepted. ISO 9001:2008 registration is carried
out by registrars, accredited organizations that
review the organization’s quality manual and other
documentation to ensure that they meet the
standard, and audit the firm’s processes to ensure
that the quality management system described in
the documentation is in place and is effective.
- TC 176 has been entrusted by the ISO Technical
Management Board with the function of Auditor
to all ISO/TCs in the application of quality
management and quality assurance in their specific
technologies to ensure the integrity of the
generic quality system standards, and prevent
proliferation of sector-specific ISO quality
systems standards that may lead to fragmentation
of the quality systems of companies in multiple
assessments and thus to increased costs. For TC
176 information, see:
http://www.tc176.org/About176.asp
- For more information on ISO 9001:
http://www.asq.org/stand/types/iso9000.html
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/iso9000-14000/iso9000/iso9000index.html
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