ISO 9001: 2000
Since 1987, ISO 9001 has become an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings.
ISO 9001 is known as "generic management system standards".
It means that the same standards can be applied:
- to any organisation, large or small, no matter what its product;
- even if its "product" is actually a service;
- in any sector of activity;
- whether it is a public administration, a business enterprise, or a government department.
Management system refers to what the organisation does to manage its procedures or activities in order that the products /services meet the objectives it has set itself, such as the following:
- satisfying the customer's quality requirements,
- complying to regulations, or
- meeting organisational objectives.
"Quality management" represents what the organisation does to guarantee that its products or services assure the customer's quality requirements and fulfil with any regulations relevant to those products or services.
