ISO 9000 Certification

This research examines the ISO 9000 certification program and its developing role. The thesis of this examination is that the advantages of ISO 9000 certification outweigh the disadvantages for United States-based firms operating globally. While the growing importance of ISO 9000 certification is recognized by most United States-based firms operating globally, many of these firms argue that such certification is not desirable for either specific industries or for specific firms.

This examination found that ISO 9000 is the set of standards that was created in the pursuit of quality in output. The system is not a quality check within the context of classical standards employed in other quality assurance systems. Rather, ISO 9000 is a way of doing business wherein commitment must be made by top-level management toward the implementation and certification process. An ISO 9000 certification indicates that a company has documented how workers perform every function that affects product and/or service quality, and has installed mechanisms, systems, and procedures that are being followed in 18 different areas�which include: design, process control, purchasing, service, inspection, and testing. The great majority of companies that have gained ISO 9000 certification consider the process and the system to be worth the effort. The conclusion drawn from the findings of this research is that ISO 9000 certification will accrue net benefits to the United States-based co

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g documentation. This documentation must included a quality assurance manual prepared by the applicant company. Once the quality assurance manual has been accepted by the registrar, an audit team from the registrar organization visits the applicant company to verify that the procedures documented in the quality assurance manual are being followed. As implemented worldwide, ISO 9000 is largely a free-market, for-profit program. The International Standards Organization (ISO) in Geneva issues standards but does not regulate the program internationally. Regulation and implementation of the program are left to national accreditation bodies, such as the United States Registrar Accreditation Board�RAB (Martin, 1996, pp. B2-B3). These boards authorize registrars (known as certifiers in Europe) to issue ISO 9000 certificates. Each national accreditation body operates differently. In Europe, there is some government regulation of these boards. In the United States, the RAB operates a joint program with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), but there is no government direct involvement. Registrars may be accredited by the same national boards, but they are allowed latitude in how they interpret the ISO 9000 standards.

Category: Business - I