The internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard is generic. It is not a product standard, but applicable to any manufacturing or service industry. Created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), its objective is to set international requirements for quality management systems.
Key features
The standard applies to the processes in an organization which have an impact on quality. It emphasizes continual improvement and customer satisfaction.
The major clauses in the standard are:
- Quality management system
- Management responsibility
- Resource management
- Product realization
- Measurement, analysis, and improvement
ISO 9001 is under revision
ISO 9001:2008 is the current version of the standard and was published in the fall of 2008 with only minor changes.
Where do I go from here?
For third party certification, you need to implement an effective quality management system complying with the requirements of the standard. The first step is to get on the road to certification.