Since the dawn of civilization, as human communities began to grow and develop, survival has depended on trade. Trade has endured to this day based on the relationship between the customer and the supplier, which relies on trust at every stage of the supply chain.
A strong reputation, earned through adherence to agreed specifications, is difficult to maintain. Organizations seeking long-term success must protect it at all costs from external threats. However, what is surprising is that this reputation is often damaged not by external threats but by issues arising within the organization itself or along its supply chain.
Regardless of how a reputation is compromised, it always results from unfulfilled promises and an organization failing to meet its commitments. This can occur either because the organization accepted an obligation it lacked the capacity to fulfill or because, despite having the capacity, it failed to manage the process effectively.
This brings us to the most renowned standard in the field of quality management and its primary purpose: to provide a set of criteria that, when met, enable an organization to demonstrate its capabilities and, consequently, offer customers confidence that it will meet their needs and expectations.
Customers use ISO 9001 to gain assurance regarding the quality of a product or service that they cannot obtain simply through prior examination. ISO 9001 – including its latest 2015 revision – applies to all organizations, regardless of type, size, or the products and services they offer. When properly implemented, this standard helps businesses develop the ability to attract and retain satisfied customers in a way that also benefits all other stakeholders.
ISO 9001:2015, like its predecessors, is not a product or service standard, as it does not include specific requirements for particular products or services. Instead, it establishes criteria applicable to the management of an organization in fulfilling customer needs and expectations, ensuring alignment with the interests of other stakeholders as well.
ISO standards are voluntary and are based on international consensus among industry experts. ISO is a non-governmental organization and does not have the authority to enforce the implementation of the standards it develops. Compliance with these standards is overseen by a network of national standardization bodies across 162 countries, aimed at facilitating international coordination and unification of industrial standards. Most internationally agreed standards apply to specific types of products and services, ensuring interchangeability, compatibility, interoperability, safety, efficiency, and variance reduction. Mutual recognition of standards among businesses and nations worldwide increases customer confidence and reduces the effort required to verify supplier performance.
The ISO 9000 family consists of a relatively small number of documents compared to the more than 19,500 internationally agreed standards and other regulatory documents published by ISO, which are essential for facilitating global trade. ISO 9000 standards provide an effective means of communicating and consolidating key concepts in quality management. The primary users of these standards are organizations operating as customers or suppliers—like those reading this article. It is not mandatory to use any of the ISO 9000 family standards to develop the capability to meet customer and stakeholder expectations; other models exist, but none are as widely adopted.