ISO 9000

Abstract The ISO mission is to provide international standardization to facilitate a worldwide exchange of goods and services. ISO standards are used in many areas aside from quality systems; ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing international standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each country (member body) interested in a subject for whom a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, both governmental and nongovernmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. The ISO Council circulates draft international standards adopted by the technical committees to the member bodies for approval before their acceptance as international standards. They are approved in accordance with ISO procedures. ISO 9000 is a series of generic standards for building, operating, and documenting a quality management system. Aside from software organizations, the series of standards is being applied across manufacturers of various domains, banks, legal firms, health service providers, educational institutions, and chemical processing plants, among others. The ISO 9000 series is composed of five major parts. There are other guidelines in the ISO 9000 series and in related series worth noting and these are discussed. The standards are not intended to prescribe or define procedures, but to give requirements to the supplier. There are many ways to address the procedural elements of a quality management system such as for configuration management, document control, quality records, measurement, and training. The use and concerns involved with ISO 9000 are discussed.