ISO 9000

ISO 9000 is a set of international standards for quality management systems (QMS) developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in collaboration with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), British Standards Institution (BSI), and Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN). The ISO 9000 standards are based on the principles of total quality management (TQM), which was popularized by W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Armand V. Feigenbaum. The standards are designed to help organizations ensure that their products and services meet the requirements of their customers, such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Toyota Motor Corporation. The ISO 9000 standards are widely used in various industries, including aerospace engineering, automotive industry, and healthcare industry, and are recognized by European Union (EU), United States Department of Defense (DoD), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Introduction

The ISO 9000 standards provide a framework for organizations to develop and implement a QMS that is focused on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, as advocated by Philip Crosby and Kaoru Ishikawa. The standards are based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, which is a methodology for continuous improvement developed by Walter A. Shewhart and popularized by Deming. The ISO 9000 standards are used by organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, and Siemens, to demonstrate their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. The standards are also recognized by International Accreditation Forum (IAF), American Society for Quality (ASQ), and European Organization for Quality (EOQ).

History

The development of the ISO 9000 standards began in the 1980s, with the publication of the first edition of BS 5750 by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in 1979. The ISO 9000 standards were first published in 1987, and have since undergone several revisions, including the 1994, 2000, and 2008 revisions, which were influenced by the work of ISO/TC 176 and ISO/TC 207. The standards have been widely adopted by organizations around the world, including General Electric, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's Corporation. The ISO 9000 standards have also been recognized by World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations (UN), and European Commission (EC).

Standards

The ISO 9000 standards consist of several parts, including ISO 9000:2015, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 9004:2018, which provide guidelines for the development and implementation of a QMS. The standards are designed to be applicable to all types and sizes of organizations, from small businesses like SMEs to large corporations like Fortune 500 companies, including Apple Inc., Amazon.com, and Alphabet Inc.. The standards are also used by organizations in various industries, including manufacturing industry, service industry, and public sector, such as NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and National Health Service (NHS).

Certification

Organizations that implement a QMS based on the ISO 9000 standards can seek certification from a third-party certification body, such as ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), UKAS, or DAkkS. The certification process involves a series of audits and assessments to ensure that the organization's QMS meets the requirements of the ISO 9000 standards, as required by European Union (EU) and United States Department of Defense (DoD). The certification is recognized by International Accreditation Forum (IAF), American Society for Quality (ASQ), and European Organization for Quality (EOQ), and is used by organizations such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Benefits and Criticisms

The implementation of a QMS based on the ISO 9000 standards can bring several benefits to an organization, including improved customer satisfaction, increased efficiency, and reduced costs, as reported by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. However, the standards have also been criticized for being too bureaucratic and time-consuming to implement, as noted by The Economist, Financial Times, and Bloomberg. Some organizations, such as Google, Facebook, and Tesla, Inc., have also reported that the standards are not suitable for their business models, which require more flexibility and innovation, as discussed by MIT Sloan Management Review, McKinsey & Company, and Boston Consulting Group.

Implementation

The implementation of a QMS based on the ISO 9000 standards requires a significant amount of time, effort, and resources, as experienced by IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle Corporation. The process involves several steps, including the development of a quality policy, the establishment of a quality objectives, and the implementation of a quality management system, as outlined by ISO/TC 176 and ISO/TC 207. The implementation of the standards can be facilitated by the use of quality management software, such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics, and by the provision of training and support by American Society for Quality (ASQ), European Organization for Quality (EOQ), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Organizations such as General Electric, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's Corporation have successfully implemented the ISO 9000 standards, and have reported significant improvements in their quality and customer satisfaction, as recognized by Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

Category:Quality management