ISO 9001

ISO 9001 is part of the ISO 9000 family which defines a set of standards for quality management systems. It contains the actual requirements an organization must be in compliance with to become ISO 9001 registered. It applies to organization of all sizes and types. ISO 9001 helps product and service oriented businesses achieve a high standard of quality. Being ISO 9001 compliant assures customers that your business has a good quality management system in place. This typically means that the quality of your products or services will meet customers' needs and expectations. Implementing an ISO 9001 QMS improves a company's operations, performance, and profitability. ISO 9001 is one of the members of the ISO 9000 family and includes the following requirements:

• Procedures that cover all of the main processes in the business
• Effective record keeping
• Monitoring of processes
• Quality control
• Correcting defects
• Reviewing individual processes and the quality system for effectiveness
• Facilitating continual improvement

ISO 9001 provides a number of requirements which a company or organization needs to fulfill if it is to achieve customer satisfaction through products and services which meet customer expectations. It is widely accepted that proper quality management improves business, which often has a positive effect on investment, sales growth, market share, competitive advantage, sales margins, and avoidance of litigation.

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