ISO 9001 makes you great
The Standard
ISO 9001 is the most frequently used model in domestic and international customer/provider relations. This is the universal language in this kind of exchanges for a large number of sectors, and is particularly important for SMEs, as it allows them to demonstrate their capacity to comply with its customers' needs.
This model, whose first editions were used exclusively by large industrial companies, has continued evolving in successive revisions. It has been adapted to meet the needs of all types of companies, including SMEs and others organizations, and has expanded to all activity sectors.
The revision from 2000
2000 proved highly successful, as the purpose of the model jumped from quality assurance to organisational quality management. A clear approach on customer satisfaction and process management was introduced, all focused on continual improvement.
The revision from
2015, which will be implemented in companies over the next few years, takes the same approach. The requirements that might have been considered 'bureaucratic' have been reduced, and the focus on efficient management has been further enhanced, along with the analysis of the context in which companies develop their activities and the consideration of the associated risks.
A cycle of continuous improvement was also added that will be used by all management models and will facilitate the integration of other features, like those relating to the environment, health and safety at work, social responsibility, etc.