ISO 9001:2008

Nowadays, in the world of challeges, businesses have to provide their products or services with high quality that satisfy the customer requirements with competitive cost. The application of quality management systems gives a consistent foundation, enhances competance and makes best efforts to achieve intended results. This International Standards closely associates to many definition, such as customer satisfaction, risk prevention, expenses and profits…

The original Standards of quality management were published for the first time in 1987. This version has agreed with manufacturing activities which require accuracy and stability. Including twenty articles, however, this version focuses on the compliance to procedures rather than the approach of management throughout processes.

In 1994, the ISO Standards of quality management were revised for the first time. This version emphasized the assurance to quality through preventive actions created basing on roof cause analysis, and continued asking evidence for the procedures’ compliance. Unfortunately, lots of organizations, in order to meet the Standards requirements, have established so many documented procedures that leads their management systems to be heavy and bureaucracy.

The second revision for quality management systems was carried out in 2000. The version introduced a method of “process control”, this was an innovation to thinking and seemed to be a breakthrough. Its aim was to pay close attention to process' improvement orienting customer satisfaction. This Standards helped to minimize the significant number of documented procedures; therefore, the organization only shows adequate evidence for the processes to be under control and in good operation.  

The Standards were revised for the third time in 2008. This version made little bit change comparing to the ISO Standards revised in 2000. The purpose of the changes was to specify the Standards requirements and make it more compatible to ISO 14001 – Environmental management systems. The reason for the little change is that community of users did highly evaluate the structure of the ISO 9001:2000 which provides a organization with opportunities to change, and moreover, helps its quality management system enhance effectiveness and validation

As the base, ISO 9001:2008 requires a organization to

-       determine the needs and expectation of customer and interested parties;

-       establish policy, objectives and work environment in order to build motivation for the organization to satisfy expected needs;

-       design, provide resources and manage a system of relevant processes to implement policy and achieve objectives;

-       measure and analyse adequacy, effeciency and effectiveness of each of processes through achievement of process objectives and purposes.

continually improve the system through assessing actual results to specified targets.