Quality assurance standards developed by the
International Organization for
Standardization are models used by companies throughout the world to establish
quality assurance programs. ISO 9001, 9002 and 9003 standards contain different
quality system elements that must be in place and adhered to by any business wishing
to be registered to these international standards.
The three standards of the ISO 9000 series represent three distinct forms or
organizational quality systems. ISO 9001 is the most comprehensive standard,
encompassing product design as well as service, manufacturing and inspection
operations, while ISO 9003, for example, contains fewer elements, and focuses on a
company’s inspection process only.
