The ISO 9000 standard is a list of standards intended to ensure uniform, safe product development and a commitment to excellence in industrial manufacturing.

These standards are created by the International Organization for Standardization. A production company endures independent and internal audits to assess its adherence to these standards, and certification is awarded to those who meet the requirements.

The majority of companies that achieve ISO 9000 certification publicly display this fact in order to attract business and increase customer confidence in the quality of the produced products. Certification does not guarantee that a company consistently upholds the standards, only that the policies and procedures necessary to enforce the standards are in place within the facility.

Companies that produce software, services, or physical products can achieve ISO 9000 certification. The standards outlined in the ISO 9000 manual pertain to a company’s quality management system, documentation and improvement system.

The standards strive to optimize a company’s tasks and activities as well as the quality of the finished product. The standards apply to the business management aspect of industries such as factories, computer software companies, police stations, and retail stores.

The advantages of implementing ISO 9000 standards are numerous.

• Streamlined, efficient, effective operation
• Improves employee awareness, motivation and loyalty to the company and the services or products it provides
• Reduction in the frequency of audits- both internal and external
• Enhanced marketing objectives and procedures
• Promotes International trade and business
• Increased consumer satisfaction
• Increased numbers of repeat customers
• Increased employee morale and cooperation
• Better consistency among products and services

ISO 9000 certification is often an industry standard and some customers require this achievement before they will conduct business with a company. The ISO standards are widely accepted and sought after by companies all over the world. The consistency that the standards provide promotes trust and cooperation between International businesses.

Drawbacks to Instituting ISO 9000 Standards

Instituting ISO 9000 standards requires an increased amount of documentation, logging, and paperwork. Implementing the system can be time consuming and the added cost is a major drawback. Once certification is received, an on-going system of internal audits and tracking is needed to maintain the level of quality and efficiency required by the ISO standards.

A company must also include an integrated commitment to quality and improvement of the over-all business structure. When seeking ISO 900 certification, it is easy for a company to become overly concerned with the details of the processes and products and lose sight of the larger picture of progress.

The ISO 900 standard of quality is recognized worldwide as a symbol of quality and gives structure and direction to a business, regardless of the services or products produced.