INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO)
[The International Organization for Standardization is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations.]
The method of quality control consisted largely of physical inspection of the end product against the product specification.
However, technical specifications may not by themselves guarantee, that a customer's requirements will be met, if there happens to be any deficiency in the specifications or in the organizational system, to design and produce the products, or service.
Consequently, this has led to the development of quality system standards and guidelines that complement relevant product, or service, requirements given in the technical specifications.
It is applicable to all types of organizations, independent of product size and country and ensures consistent improvement of quality.
Today consumer is not quantity oriented but quality oriented instead.
Hence, for consumer's satisfaction, the manufacturers are focusing on quality products.
The quality of particular product is determined by ISO, whose certification is of great importance.
A 'quality system' is a mechanism by which a company can organize and manage its resources to achieve, sustain and improve quality economically.
THE ROLE OF (ISO) SERIES :-
ISO 9000 – 1, 2, 3, 4 : Quality management and quality assurance
ISO 9004 – 1: Quality management and quality system elements sub-contractor
ISO 9004 – 2 : Guidelines for services
ISO 9004 – 3 : Guidelines for processed materials
ISO 9004 – 4 : Guidelines for quality improvement
ISO 9004 – 5 : Guidelines for project management
ISO 9004 – 6 : Guidelines for quality plans
ISO9004 –7: Guidelines for configuration management
ISO 10011 – 1, 2, 3 : Guidelines for auditing quality system
ISO 10012 – 1, 2 : Quality assurance requirement for measuring equipment
ISO 10013 : Guidelines for developing quality manual
ISO 10014 : Guidelines for economic effect of quality
ISO 10015 : Continuing education and training guidelines
ISO 22000 : 2005 : Specifies requirements for a food safety management system where an organisation in food chain needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption.
