ISO 9000 Quality Standards

Organisations of Contact in the United States

ISO 9000

In 1987, mounting concern on global quality issues led the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, to establish a series of international quality standards. Called the ISO 9000 Series of Standards, the series is not specific to any one industry, but when used with proper industry-specific standards, helps build a strong foundation for a quality system. The idea behind ISO is to promote standardization which will facilitate the international exchange of goods and services.

Currently, ISO 9000 certification is voluntary and not required or mandated in any country. However, the European community has recently required that quality systems of many suppliers of products related to health, safety, and the environment be formally registered, by a third party, according to the ISO 9000 Series standard. This action has made adoption of the ISO standards a prerequisite for doing business in Europe. Countries in Asia, Africa, and South America are more and more considering adoption of these standards as a means to increased trade among themselves and the United States. Over 20,000 companies have been registered worldwide, and at least 52 nations are implementing the standards.

In the U.S., the ISO 9000 Series of Standards was adopted in precise format as the ANSI/ASQC Q90 series of standards. The series comprises five individual, but related, international standards on quality management and quality assurance, known as ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, 9003, and 9004. For a company's quality system to become registered in one or more of these standards involves having an accredited, independent third party conduct an audit of the company's operations against the requirements of the ISO 9000 standards. Upon successful completion of this audit, the company will receive a registration certificate that identifies its quality system as being in compliance with ISO 9000 standards.

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Standards and Guidelines in the ISO 9000 Series

Number	Title
ISO 8402	Quality management and quality assurance - Vocabulary
ISO 9000-1	Quality management and quality assurance standards - Part 1: Guidelines for section and use
ISO 9000-2	Quality management and quality assurance standards - Part 2: Generic guidelines for the application of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003
ISO 9000-3	Quality management and quality assurance standards - Part 3: Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001 to the development, supply and maintenance of software
ISO 9000-4	Quality management and quality assurance standards - Part 4: Guide to dependability programme management
ISO 9001	Quality systems - Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing
ISO 9002	Quality systems - Model for quality assurance in production, installation and servicing
ISO 9003	Quality systems - Model for quality assurance in final inspection and test
ISO 9004-1	Quality management and quality system elements - Part 1: Guidelines
ISO 9004-2	Quality management and quality system elements - Part 2: Guidelines for services
ISO 9004-3	Quality management and quality system elements - Part 3: Guidelines for processed materials
ISO 9004-4	Quality management and quality system elements - Part 4: Guidelines for quality improvement
ISO 9004-5	Quality management and quality system elements - Part 5: Guidelines for quality plans
ISO 9004-7	Quality management and quality system elements - Part 7: Guidelines for configuration management

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Organisations of Contact

International Organisation for Standard

ISO International Standard

Member body of ISO

China is an ISO Member!

Correspondent Member of ISO

Hong Kong is a Correspondent Member !

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
11 W. 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036t
(212) 642-4900

The American National Standards Institute, an influential member of the ISO, is a nongovernment voluntary organization that provides a process for accrediting standards-writing bodies. The ISO 9000 Series is available from ANSI. (The ANSI/ASQC Q90 Series is identical to the ISO 9000 Series.)

American Society for Quality Control
P.O. Box 3005
Milwaukee, WI 53201
(800) 952-6587

The American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) is an accredited standards-writing body. The ANSI/ASQC Q90 series is available from the customer service department of ASQC.

CEEM Information Services
P.O. Box 200
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
(800) 745-5565

Publishes Quality Systems Update newsletter, ISO 9000 handbook, and a directory of registered companies.

National Institute of Standards and Technology
U.S. Department of Commerce
Route 270 and Quince Orchard Road
Administration Building, Room A537
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
(301) 975-2000

Booz, Allen & Hamilton
Safety and Environmental Group
8283 Greensboro Drive
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 902-5000

Du Pont ISO 9000 Services
1007 Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19898
(800) 441-8040

Perry Johnson
3000 Town Center, Suite 2960
Southfield, MI 48075
(810) 356-4410

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Last modified: February 18, 1998