ISO 9000 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn't matter what size they are or what they do. It can help both product and service oriented organizations achieve standards of quality that are recognized and respected throughout the world.

ISO first published its quality assurance and quality management standards in 1987 and then republished an updated version in 1994. These quality standards are referred to as the "ISO 9000 Standards". ISO's purpose was to facilitate international commerce by providing a single set of standards that people everywhere would recognize and respect.

The ISO 9000 Standards apply to all kinds of organizations in all kinds of areas. Some of these areas include manufacturing, processing, servicing, printing, forestry, electronics, steel, computing, legal services, financial services, accounting, trucking, banking, retailing, drilling, recycling, aerospace, construction, exploration, textiles, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, publishing, shipping, energy, telecommunications, plastics, metals, research, health care, hospitality, utilities, aviation, machine tools, food processing, agriculture, government, education, recreation, fabrication, sanitation, software development, consumer products, transportation, instrumentation, tourism, biotechnology, chemicals, consulting, insurance, and so on.

Here is how it works. You decide that you need to develop a quality system that meets the ISO 9000 Standards. You choose to follow this path because you feel the need to control or improve the quality of your products and services, to reduce the costs associated with poor quality, or to become more competitive. Or, you choose this path simply because your customers expect you to do so or because a governmental body has made it mandatory.

You then develop a quality system that meets the quality requirements specified by one of the following three standards: ISO 9001, ISO 9002, or ISO 9003. In the course of doing so, you also consider ISO's guidelines. These guidelines include ISO 9000, ISO 9004, ISO 10011, and ISO 10013.

Once your quality system has been fully developed and implemented, you invite an accredited external auditor (registrar) to evaluate its effectiveness. If your auditors like what they see, they will certify that your quality system has met all of ISO's requirements. They will then issue an official certificate to you and they will record your achievement in their registry. You can then announce to the world that the quality of your products and services is managed, controlled, and assured by a registered ISO 9000 quality system.

However, you don't have to be registered. ISO does not require formal registration (certification). You can be in compliance without being registered by an accredited auditor. But, your customers are more likely to believe that you have an effective quality system if an independent external auditor says so.

Our Quality Guarantee

If you're not happy with the quality of one of our
publications, please send it back within 30 days,
and we'll give you a complete refund
(less shipping and handling).