 ISO is a Greek word meaning equal.  ISO 9000 is a group of internationally accepted generic standards that spell out clearly what should be in a company’s quality system, regardless of its nature.  These standards are determined by International Standard Organization (ISO).  ISO provides a universal framework for quality assurance among it’s member countries.  Complying with ISO is very vital, specially with a view to seeking international recognition for quality control.

 ISO tries to develop industrial standards that can be applied to world wide trade and commerce.  These standards are used by any company in any country to form a system that conforms to a set of criteria.  For example, BSTI sets standards in Bnagladesh for companies to be followed.  Such standards allow the creation of parts from any company that are easily interchangeable with parts created by several other companies located around the globe

 Such interchangeability allows a large number of customers/consumers to order and use parts and produce from a variety of sources world wide.  This keeps prices low and gives greater flexibility to the manufacturing process.  Modern manufacturing techniques depend on high quality of the components/material used in the end product.  So, we observe that companies around the world need basic level of quality assurance that is interchangeable and predictable as are the parts themselves.  This is one of the purposes of the ISO 9000.

 It is not a standard for quality assurance department, it is a management system standard.  The focus of this standards is how the management system assures the quality of the parts/services/products a company manufactures.  It also looks at how a management system collects quality related data and utilizes them to continually improve the operations, prices, reliability and other quality characteristics.  So, when a company becomes certified under ISO 9000, it is the management system of that company which has been certified, not the quality of goods produced by that company.

 ISO 9000 does not directly concern itself with the quality performance of a company rather it is based on the common international view of quality.  That is, is a quality assurance process is correctly and properly established then good quality should follow.

1) The largest beneficiaries of ISO 9000 are the customers. The customers include both the final end-users and the corporations that buy components world wide.  ISO 9000 provides a universally agreed upon, minimum quality assurance system.  This excludes expenses for surveying to select a good supplier/seller.

2) Corporations are benefited from ISO 9000 because the ISO helps to establish uniform methods of quality assurance across national borders. This allows for the uniform production of goods in many countries. Free trading blocks such as EC, NAFTA, ASEAN, SAPTA, APEC etc can take advantage of these standards to set up multinational manufacturing companies. By doing this, they can create higher quality goods at low cost.

3) This registration will give an organization quality recognition in several industries on a global scale, enabling the organization to market its goods around the world to a variety of customers. 4) ISO standards allow quality assurance professionals to keep pace with the new world wide method of manufacturing. 5) The end users of products will be rewarded with the higher quality and lower cost associated with standardized quality assurance system working within the global manufacturing structure. 6) ISO 9000 will also increase the variety of products available for consumption.

For example, Quality may be defined as, “The totality of features and characteristics of product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs”

 This is series of internationally accepted generic guidelines for quality management system.  It helps us to understand the concepts of quality and to select the appropriate model (ISO 9001/9002/9003, etc)

 It is quality system Model for quality assurance in design, development, installation, production, marketing, sales and servicing.  It is for the company that wants to assure its consumers of conformance to specified requirements throughout all of the above stages.  It also includes the notions of contract review, control of design, purchasing, product identification, production, control, inspection, testing, calculation, handling, storage, packaging and delivery, quality records, audits and training.

 This is a common standard for the manufacturers and applies where there is already an established design or specification.  It assumes that the manufacturer can continue to produce the product to conformance.

 It requires conformance in final inspection and testing of equipment.  It also includes document control, product identification and marketing, control of measuring and testing equipments, statistical techniques where applicable and training.

 1) The standard is flexible. If any organization or industry does not exactly match a requirement, then it is possible to modify or repeal a part or all the requirements.  2) The standard is not just for manufacturers. It can also be applied to service companies and unique production system. The term “product” includes service, hardware, processed material and software or a combination of these.

 3) The standard looks at how the whole organization assures the quality of products and services. As a result every department will be involved in obtaining ISO-9000 registration.  4) The standard focuses on the process of assuring quality, not on the final results.  5) Another key word is “international. The standards are written down and supposed to be applied worldwide. ISO 9000 can be used as a milestone to high level quality assurance requirement.  6) The standard has broad industry application.

 Getting and retaining ISO certification is a continuous process. Getting it is a proof that the company has crossed a landmark in its drive towards perfection and international recognition and acceptance. To retain ISO 9000 certification a company must submit itself to continuous evaluation.  To get ISO 9000 certification a company must make sure that every stage of its management and operational system conforms to standards laid down in detail by the ISO.

 The company must submit itself to continuous inspection and testing so that the international standard organization is satisfied that the company conforms with its guidelines for quality management system.  Only when ISO comes to a conclusion that a company’s quality system as documented and implemented meets the requirements of ISO- 9000, then it will give the company its highly coveted stamp of quality approval.

 ISO certification is valid for a period of three years. At the end of this period, the company must apply for fresh certification.  There is a provision for auditing the company at every six months interval by the ISO assessors. So it is very clear that getting the ISO certification means that the company must be performing efficiently and its system must be operating smoothly all the time.

 Implementation of the ISO-9000 quality management system will ensure customer satisfaction by guaranteeing good design, reliable and reproducible product quality, safe performance, prompt delivery and efficient service.  ISO-9000 certification guarantees that a manufacturer’s product is exactly the same today as it was yesterday, as it will be tomorrow.  It also guarantees that goods will be produced at the same level of quality even if all the employees were replaced by a new set of workers.

 Due to emergence of free trade regions world wide, although the geopolitical boundary exists, the economic boundary between countries are disappearing. In this competitive global market place any company can sell its products world wide if the quality of the products meet the norms of international standards.  In Bangladesh BSTI oversees the standards and quality of the products and services of various companies.  Similarly, if a company of Bangladesh meets the norms of standard quality management system set up by ISO then that company will be able to market its products and services in any part of the world.

 Presently there exists a very suitable environment for industrialization in Bangladesh. The entrepreneurs should from the beginning, take necessary steps for stringent quality control so that their products be able to meet the highest standards set in the global markets.  The certification shows that the companies now meet the most stringent international specifications for quality control. It is also a proof that our industries are matching ahead and can compete with the rest of the world (ACI, BEXIMCO, ETC).

 Our frozen food and garments industries are now facing quality crisis in the global market. These industries and other export oriented companies should rethink about their management system and if possible should adopt standard quality management systems as set by the ISO.  Days are coming when ISO 9000 certification like BSTI certification will be mandatory for every product and service to exist in the free economy market competition.

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