A German company wins a huge contract to sell components to a factory in North Carolina. A Swiss firm becomes the leading supplier of power line filters in the U.S. A Japanese electronics conglomerate outbids several European manufacturers for a project in South America. These are not isolated events, but rather an indication that we have entered a new age in commerce (ôThe inside,ö 1995, p. 102). Today, more and more business and industry leaders realize that in order to thrive, or even survive, in the new global economy, their companies must become truly world-class. That is the reason for the growing move to ISO 9000 certification.
As a global standard ISO 9000 is already well on the way. In the first half of 1993, it is estimated that over 34,000 European companies are registered in compliance with the ISO 9000 standards (ôQuality,ö 1994, p. 12). In the U.S., over 1000 companies have been certified. From 1992, the number of certified companies more than doubled (ôThe sleeper,ö 1994, p. 44).
What is ISO 9000? ISO 9000 is a set of international standards for both quality management and quality assurance that has been adopted by over 90 countries worldwide. The ISO 9000 standards apply to all types of organizations, large and small, and in many industries. The standards require:
1. A standard language for documenting quality practices.
2. A system to track and manage evidence that these practices are instituted throughout the organization.
3. A third-party auditing model to review, certify and maintain certification of organizations.
The ISO 9000 series classifies products into generic product categories: hardware, software, processed materials and services. The standards are published in a series of five booklets, each covering a specific area:
1. ISO 9000 - Explains fundamental quality concepts and provides guidelines for the selection and application of each standard.
2. ISO 9001 - Model for quality...