The Importance of ISO 9000 - Essay Example

ISO 9000 (A) WHAT IS ISO 9000 ISO, an abbreviation for International Organization for standardization, is a global network of bodies that identifies the standards required by businesses, government and society, develops them in collaboration with sectors that will use them, and adopts them as stipulated international standards. The organization "islocated in Switzerland and was established in 1947 to develop common international standards in many areas. Itsmembers come from over 120 nationalstandards bodies." (Praxiom research group limited, 2005). ISO 9000 is concerned with the quality of production of goods and services by individuals or corporate bodies. It stipulates standards and mandates compliance with them from such individual or corporate bodies as have signified to the ISO their interest to deliver high-quality goods and services. The ISO standards apply to a very extensive range of services and production, including "manufacturing, processing, printing, legal and financial services, publishing, health care, utilities, education, instrumentation, farming, consultation, horticulture" (Ibid) Compliance with ISO 9000 streamlines the structure of an organization or company towards guaranteed vitality and sustainability. "Your organization can output faster, reduce costs, and be more competitive in the marketplace. Compliance makes you a more attractive trading partner, in that it demonstrates your ability to meet standards and deliver on time." (Quality-Rite Software). ISO 9000 helps beneficiaries to develop a quality system specified by one of the following standards: ISO 9001, ISO 9002, and ISO 9003. ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 have become obsolete. ISO 9000 is the one in vogue. ISO 9001, ISO 9002, and ISO 9003. ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 have become obsolete, and ISO 9000 is the one in vogue. (B) THE IMPORTANCE OF ISO 9000 Because ISO 9000 is supported by more than 100 countries, it remains the logical choice for organizations that operate internationally, or that satisfies customers' demand not only for goods and services of current sophistication or internationally recognized standards, but for ones that answer their expectations. "When you purchase a product or service from an organization that is registered to the appropriate ISO 9000 standard, you have important assurances that the quality of what you receive will be as you expect." (We Are Simply Quality) (C) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ISO 9000 The ISO 9000 embraces three quality standards: ISO 9000:2000, ISO 9001: 2000, and ISO 9004:2000. The ISO 9001:2000 standard specifies the ISO 9000 requirements, while the ISO 9000: 2000 and ISO 9004: 2000 standards specify its guidelines. Requirements are the stipulations of the ISO 9000 that present what the prospective adopter must do to become ISO 9000-compliant. Guidelines, however, present rules or recommendations whose observation by the prospective adopter will facilitate the transition from current standards of quality to ISO 9000 standards. It should be noted, however, that all three are process standards, not product standards. They set the standards for the methods and procedures whose strict observation will lead to the production of high-quality goods and services. Now, the implementation of ISO 9000 begins and ends with the development of a quality management system that meets the ISO 9000 requirements. To achieve such a development, one needs reference to the guidelines of ISO 9000: 2000 and ISO 9004:2000. If the prospective adopter already has a quality management system which he or she considers satisfactory, then they will need reference to a set of instructions and recommendations called "Gap Analysis" in order to spotlight the deficiencies of their satisfactory quality management system, where and how it falls short of the ISO 9001:2000 standards, and what is required to meet these standards. "A Gap Analysis is a review of the company's systems against the applicable Standard. This review will help determine what company systems, that are currently in place, meet the ISO 9000 Standard." (Gap Analysis) An amplification of the foregoing can be found in one of the web pages of Praxiom Research Group Limited, a corporate body that offers pieces of advice on the concept and scope of ISO 9000: "If you need to develop a Quality management System that meets the NEW ISO 9001 2000 Standard, you need [a] Gap Analysis Tool. Our Tool will tell you what you need to do to meet the new Standard. It will do so by showing you how to pinpoint and fill quality gaps. More precisely, our Tool will help you to identify the gaps that exist between the new standard and your organization's actual processes. Once you know exactly where your gaps are, you can take steps to fill them. By using this approach, you will not only meet the new ISO 9001 Standard, but you will also improve the overall performance of your quality management process." If, on the other hand, prospective adopters wish to discard their current unsatisfactory quality management system, then they will need to employ the ISO 9001: 2000 Process Oriented Quality Management System Development Plan. This plan usually contains details of the process of transforming existing quality management systems into that of the ISO 9000. Since the attempts at following the steps and processes towards upgrading existing quality management systems are prone to lapses and imperfections, it is necessary to subject outcomes of such attempts to inspection, to ensure compliance with the ISO 9001:2000 standard. A seven-phase program, called Internal Audit, is used for this inspection. It comprises sets of questionnaires and worksheets, which when completed, produce an audit file. The audit file is subsequently subjected to another set of questionnaires containing recommendations for fine-tuning, and for removing residual flaws in the revised or upgraded quality management system. Finally, a registrar is invited to audit the effectiveness of the new quality management system (this might be called "external auditing" in contrast to "internal audit", which is carried out by the adopter on his or her work through responding to questionnaires). If the registrar is satisfied with the quality of the new quality management system, he or she will issue the adopter an official certificate, and record the development in their registry. If the registrar is dissatisfied, a repeat of the ISO adoption process will be called for. Although this kind of registration is not essential to becoming ISO-compliant, to gain the credence of customers, it is often necessary to have a document indicating the certification of the quality management system in question as of the ISO 9000 standard. (D) DISADVANTAGES While the beauty of ISO 9000 stands out in the high quality of quality management system it strictly ensures, it has two apparent disadvantages: one, it might circumscribe and constrict the creativities of individuals and corporate bodies who have different, innovative ideas about quality management, since there are, by all indications, no rooms for inputs from them but only obligations to comply with standards. Two, the institutionalization of ISO as a near-perfect standard might prejudice would-be customers against non-ISO-compliant service providers who might have something of value or of necessity, to offer the prejudiced would-be customer, who dismisses these services as third-rate for not being ISO -9000 certified. Works Cited 1. "Gap Analysis." Gap analysis. Nov. 25, 2005 < http://www3.sympatico.ca/braf999/braf999/new_page_21.htm> 2. "ISO 9000." ISO-An Introduction. Aug 25. 2005. Nov 23. 2005. 3. "ISO 9000." ISO 9000 Quality Manual and ISO 9000 Software, Nov.25, 2005. 4. "What are ISO 9000 and ISO 9001" We Are Simply Quality. Nov.20, 2005. Nov 25. 2005. Read More