ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a family of standards for quality management systems. The International Organization for Standardization is administered by accreditation and certification bodies.
ISO 9001:2000 is an international standard that gives requirements for an organization’s Quality Management System (“QMS”). The objective of ISO 9001:2000 is to provide a set of requirements that, if they are effectively implemented, will provide you with confidence that your supplier can consistently provide goods ad services that:
ISO 9001:2000 provides some requirements for the purchasing process that include you as the customer.
ISO 9001 (which is one of the standards in the ISO 9000 family) include:
• requirements regarding the purchasing information that should be provided so that suppliers clearly understand their customers' needs
• The ways in which supplied products can be verified as meeting the requirements of the customer.
• a set of procedures that cover all key processes in the business;
• monitoring processes to ensure they are effective;
• keeping adequate records;
• checking output for defects, with appropriate and corrective action where necessary;
• regularly reviewing individual processes and the quality system itself for effectiveness; and
• facilitating continual improvement
You have an important role to play, by specifying to your supplier what you actually want. You may need to consult with your own internal technical staff (the actual users) in this process. If you don’t do this, you might find that you receive a product that meets all your stated requirements and the applicable regulatory requirements, but which is absolutely wrong for your intended application. So, first of all, you should concentrate on specifying your needs related to the intended use of the product.
Advantages of being an ISO certified Supplier:
• It is widely acknowledged that proper quality management improves business, often having a positive effect on investment, market share, sales growth, sales margins, competitive advantage, and avoidance of litigation.
• It is considered as the hallmark of quality for products and services. Having a ISO certificate is considered as an efficient way of assessing the reliability of manufacturer or seller.
• It bolsters efficiency and fairness in the manufacturing process of goods.
• Create a more efficient, effective operation
• Increase customer satisfaction and retention
• Reduce audits
• Enhance marketing
• Improve employee motivation, awareness, and morale
• Promote international trade
• Increases profit
• It assures customers about the usage of fairly trading policy.
