Guidelines for Logistics Enterprises Implementing the ISO 9001:2000 Standard

Author: Song Yuqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features:
Chapter 1: Introduction to ISO 9000 Family Standards
Section 1: Introduction to ISO 9000 Family Standards
1. The Origin and Development of ISO 9000 Family Standards
In 1979, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) established the Technical Committee 176 (TC176) to develop standards for quality management and quality assurance. In 1986, it published ISO 8402: "Quality Management and Quality Assurance — Vocabulary," and in 1987, it released ISO 9000: "Guidelines for Selection and Use of Quality Management and Quality Assurance Standards," ISO 9001: "Quality System — Design, Development, Production, Installation, and Service Quality Assurance Model," ISO 9002: "Quality System — Production, Installation, and Service Quality Assurance Model," ISO 9003: "Quality System — Final Inspection and Test Quality Assurance Model," and ISO 9004: "Quality Management — Quality System Elements Guide." These six standards are collectively known as the ISO 9000 series standards. Due to their strong scientific, systematic, practical, and guiding nature, these standards play a role in standardizing, unifying, and providing a foundation for quality management and quality assurance in enterprises and industries. They were widely recognized and adopted by many countries and regions upon their release, gaining universal acceptance in industrial and economic sectors. Currently, at least 140 countries and regions worldwide have adopted these standards. Many national certification and inspection bodies regard obtaining ISO 9000 certification as a condition for obtaining quality marks. Many large companies have incorporated the implementation of ISO 9000 family standards into their quality plans, contracts, or order fulfillment. Some small and medium-sized organizations also place equal importance on product quality in trade, believing this to be the essence of competition. Official institutions in many countries require suppliers to undergo ISO 9000 family standard certification in contracts. Governments in some countries are working on developing national quality plans, believing this will enhance the vitality and competitiveness of their organizations.
The ISO 9000 family standards are not only widely used in the industrial sector worldwide but also in industries such as services, engineering management, finance, tourism, insurance, healthcare, education, environmental protection, commerce, taxation, and banking. Even the White House and the ISO Central Secretariat in the United States have applied ISO 9000 standards to improve their work quality. The goal of ISO/TC176 is "to ensure that ISO 9000 family standards are accepted and used worldwide, providing effective methods to enhance organizational performance; promote international trade and global prosperity and development; and enable any organization or individual to have confidence in obtaining any desired product from anywhere in the world and successfully selling their products globally."
Modern quality means customer satisfaction, compliance with social requirements, and continuous growth in benefits. These elements are an inseparable whole. The prerequisite for a successful organization is to ensure customer satisfaction and compliance with social requirements. Customer satisfaction drives market share growth, while non-compliance with social requirements exposes the organization to legal risks. Maintaining organizational benefit growth is the purpose of business operations and one of the signs of a successful organization. Modern market competition has shifted from price competition to non-price competition. Using quality as a competitive tool for the organization is one of the best choices in business management practice.