Linking ISO 9001 Requirements

To Product Service Quality

Abstract:

From the time the ISO 9000 series of quality management standards were released in 1987, there have been concerns that certification of a quality management system did not necessarily assure stakeholders that conforming product or service would be delivered to the customer on time. These concerns continued when the standards were revised in 1994 and again in 2000, and to a 1large extent, continue today. In 1995, with the initial introduction of QS-9000, it was thought that things would get better. QS-9000 was followed by other sector-specific standards, e.g., TL 9000, AS9100a and ISO/TS 16949.

All of these have the common goal of delivering high quality product or service on time, thereby achieving customer satisfaction. What many organizations miss or do not understand is the linkage between each requirement and product/service quality. This paper focuses on those aspects of ISO 9001:2000 that directly affect customer expectations regarding product or service quality and delivery. Insights from the view of an accredited registrar will be presented, including suggested auditing techniques that will identify those areas of a quality management system that could be weak, the goal being to make it proactive, predictive, and robust, as opposed to reactive and detection focused.

1Quality is Free, 1979, McGraw Hill Publishing

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