What does ISO 9000 offer?

What does ISO 9000 offer? For one thing, it offers you continuedbusiness with customers who may be requiring you to register. That isa pretty strong benefit right there.These customers may never question your quality, but these customersdepend heavily on their main suppliers. They know they canimprove their quality and through-put, if you improve yours. Just because you are great does not mean you are as great as you couldbe. ISO 9000 mandates a continuous improvement system. Youcan wriggle and fudge, but if you implement that system and workit conscientiously, you cannot help but improve. Continuous improvementis not just a buzz term. It is an imperative. Just because you are great today does not mean you will be great tomorrow.Has your industry changed? Has your organizationchanged? A well-implemented ISO 9000 helps your organizationadapt to change. It brings independence of individuals and consistencyof practices—two features that tend to resist declines inperformance.
What else does ISO 9000 bring you? When well implemented, anISO 9000 quality system improves organization performance. That is,after all, the whole point. In cases where it does not, the fault tendsnot to be in the ISO 9000 process (its inherent deficiencies notwithstanding).When an ISO 9000 system does not provide substantial benefits andimprovement in performance, it is usually because managementhas consciously chosen to cut corners, blowsmoke,stay uninvolved, and starve the system of all but the most essentialresources. “We’ll do this stupid thing, but we’re sure not goingto change the way we operate.”ISO 9000 registration brings you one more thing that your organizationmay not have today: International credibility. ISO 9000 is deployedand practiced in nearly 100 countries around the world. Intoday’s ever-growing international economic climate, this is not a bademblem to have, however narrow the scope of your market today.