Every organisation would like to improve the way it operates, whether that means increasing market share, driving down costs, managing risk more effectively or improving customer satisfaction. A quality management system gives you the framework you need to monitor and improve performance in any area you choose.

ISO 9001 is by far the world’s most established quality framework, currently being used by over ¾ million organisations in 161 countries and sets the standard not only for quality management systems, but management systems in general.

It helps all kinds of organisations to succeed through improved customer satisfaction, staff motivation and continual improvement.

ISO 9000 series of standards

ISO 9001 is one of a series of quality management system standards. It can help bring out the best in your organization by enabling you to understand your processes for delivering your products/services to your customers. The ISO 9001 series of standards consist of:

• ISO 9000 – Fundamentals and Vocabulary: this introduces the user to the concepts behind the management systems and specifies the terminology used.
• ISO 9001 – Requirements: this sets out the criteria you will need to meet if you wish to operate in accordance with the standard and gain certification.
• ISO 9004 – Guidelines for performance improvement: based upon the eight quality management principles, these are designed to be used by senior management as a framework to guide their organisations towards improved performance by considering the needs of all interested parties, not just customers.

Who is it relevant to?

ISO 9001 is suitable for any organisation looking to improve the way it is operated and managed, regardless of size or sector. However, the best returns on investment come from those companies that are prepared to implement it throughout their organisation rather than at particular sites, departments or divisions.

In addition, ISO 9001 is designed to be compatible with other management systems standards and specifications, such as ISO 14001 Environment. They can be integrated seamlessly through Integrated Management. They share many principles so choosing an integrated management system can offer excellent value for money.