ISO 9001 Quality Management System

The new standard is process model based and has been developed using a core set of eight quality management principles defined in ISO 9001:2008, Quality Management Systems Fundamentals and Vocabulary, and in ISO 9004:2000, Quality Management Systems Guidelines for Performance Improvements. They are:

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

Benefits of ISO 9001 standard

• Improve business performance and enhance business competence
• Attract investment and improve brand reputation
• Encourage internal communication and raise morale
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Strengthen effectiveness and efficiency
• Enhance internal effectiveness and improve productivity performance through elimination of unnecessary costs