ASQ - American Society for Quality

	ASW Q9000 Quality management systems-Fundamentals and vocabulary Buy ASQ Collections Online subscriptions to multiple documents on various subjects Info To speak with an IHS Subject Matter Expert call 1-888-752-0334, outside the US/Canada call 303-397-2892. More Top ASQ Standards...

ASW Q9000 - Quality management systems-Fundamentals and vocabulary

General
The IS0 9000 family of standards listed below has been developed to assist organizations, of all types and sizes, to implement and operate effective quality management systems.

• IS0 9000 describes fundamentals of quality management systems and specifies the terminology for quality management systems.
• IS0 9001 specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide products that fulfill customer and applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction.
• IS0 9004 provides guidelines that consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of the quality management system. The aim of this standard is improvement of the performance of the organization and satisfaction of customers and other interested parties.
• IS0 1901 1 provides guidance on auditing quality and environmental management systems.

Together they form a coherent set of quality management system standards facilitating mutual understanding in national and international trade.

Quality management principles
To lead and operate an organization successfully, it is necessary to direct and control it in a systematic and transparent manner. Success can result from implementing and maintaining a management system that is designed to continually improve performance while addressing the needs of all interested parties. Managing an organization encompasses quality management amongst other management disciplines.

Eight quality management principles have been identified that can be used by top management in order to lead the organization towards improved performance.

• a) Customer focus
  Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
• B) Leadership
  Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization's objectives.
• c) Involvement of people
  People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization's benefit.
• D) Process approach
  A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.
• e) System approach to management
  Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
• f) Continual improvement
  Continual improvement of the organization's overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.
• g) Factual approach to decision making
  Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.
• h) Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
  An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.

These eight quality management principles form the basis for the quality management system standards within the IS0 9000 family.

Scope
This International Standard describes fundamentals of quality management systems, which form the subject of the IS0 9000 family, and defines related terms.

This International Standard is applicable to the following:

• a) organizations seeking advantage through the implementation of a quality management system;
• b) organizations seeking confidence from their suppliers that their product requirements will be satisfied;
• c) users of the products;
• d) those concerned with a mutual understanding of the terminology used in quality management (e.g. suppliers, customers, regulators);
• e) those internal or external to the organization who assess the quality management system or audit it for conformity with the requirements of IS0 9001 (e.g. auditors, regulators, certification/registration bodies);
• f) those internal or external to the organization who give advice or training on the quality management system appropriate to that organization;
• g) developers of related standards.