ISO 9000 The ISO was formed in 1947 in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO 9000 was first published in 1987.

It was based on the BS 5750 series of standards from BSI The ISO 9000 family of standards relate to quality management systems and are designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders In the assessment of quality system compliance, ISO 9000 has 20 requirements, which cover almost all elements of controlling a quality system within a company Elements of Iso 9000 Quality Management Systems The standards of ISO 9000 detail 20 requirements for an organization's quality management system in the following areas:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

Management Responsibility Quality System Order Entry Design Control Document and Data Control Purchasing Control of Customer Supplied Products Product Identification and Tractability Process Control Inspection and Testing Control of Inspection, Measuring, and Test Equipment Inspection and Test Status Control of Nonconforming Products Corrective and Preventive Action Handling, Storage, Packaging, and Delivery Control of Quality Records Internal Quality Audits Training Servicing Statistical Techniques

ISO 9000 is composed of 5 different, but related parts: ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, 9003, and 9004 ISO 9000 and 9004 are guidelines, while ISO 9001, 9002, and 9003 are the categories in which a company may apply for certification

ISO 9001:2000 combines the three standards 9001, 9002, and 9003 into one, called 9001. ISO 9001: Quality Systems Model for Quality Assurance in Design/Development, Production, Installation, and Servicing The 2000 version sought to make a radical change in thinking by actually placing the concept of process management front and center ("Process management" was the monitoring and optimizing of a company's tasks and activities, instead of just inspecting the final product). The 2000 version also demands involvement by upper executives, in order to integrate quality into the business system and avoid delegation of quality functions to junior administrators. Another goal is to improve effectiveness via process performance metrics The ISO 9000 standard is continually being revised by standing technical committees and advisory groups, who receive feedback from those professionals who are implementing the standard.

Advantages of Iso 9000 The advantages associated with ISO 9000 certification are numerous, as both business analysts and business owners will attest. These benefits, which can impact nearly all corners of a company, range from increased stature to bottom-line operational savings. They include:

Increased marketabilityNearly all observers agree that ISO 9000 registration provides businesses with markedly heightened credibility with current and prospective clients alike. Basically, it proves that the company is dedicated to providing quality to its customers, which is no small advantage whether the company is negotiating with a longtime customer or endeavoring to pry a potentially lucrative customer away from a competitor. This benefit manifests itself not only in increased customer retention, but also in increased customer acquisition and heightened ability to enter into new markets; indeed, ISO 9000 registration has been cited as being of particular value for small and mid-sized businesses hoping to establish a presence in international markets. Reduced operational expensesSometimes lost in the many discussions of ISO 9000's public relations cache is the fact that the rigorous registration process often exposes significant shortcomings in various operational areas. When these problems are brought to light, the company can take the appropriate steps to improve its processes. These improved efficiencies can help companies garner savings in both time and money. "The cost of scrap, rework, returns, and the employee time spent analyzing and troubleshooting various products are all considerably reduced by initiating the discipline of ISO 9000, " confirmed Richard B. Wright in Industrial Distribution. Better management controlThe ISO 9000 registration process requires so much documentation and self-assessment that many businesses that undergo its rigors cite increased understanding of the company's overall direction and processes as a significant benefit. Increased customer satisfactionSince the ISO 9000 certification process almost inevitably uncovers areas in which final product quality can be improved, such efforts often bring about higher levels of customer satisfaction. In addition, by seeking and securing ISO 9000 certification, companies can provide their clients with the opportunity to tout their suppliers' dedication to quality in their own business dealings. Improved internal communicationThe ISO 9000 certification process's emphasis on self-analysis and operations management issues encourages various internal areas or departments of companies to interact with one another in hopes of gaining a more complete understanding of the needs and desires of their internal customers. Improved customer serviceThe process of securing ISO 9000 registration often serves to refocus company priorities on pleasing their customers in all respects, including customer service areas. It also helps heighten awareness of quality issues among employees. Reduction of product-liability risksMany business experts contend that companies that achieve ISO 9000 certification are less likely to be hit with product liability lawsuits, etc., because of the quality of their processes. Attractiveness to investorsBusiness consultants and small business owners alike agree that ISO-9000 certification can be a potent tool in securing funding from venture capital firms.

Disadvantages of Iso 9000 Despite the many advantages associated with ISO 9000, however, business owners and consultants caution companies to research the rigorous certification process before committing resources to it. Following is a list of potential hurdles for entrepreneurs to study before committing to an initiative to gain ISO 9000 certification:

Owners and managers do not have an adequate understanding of the ISO 9000 certification process or of the quality standards themselvesSome business owners have been known to direct their company's resources toward ISO 9000 registration, only to find that their incomplete understanding of the process and its requirements results in wasted time and effort. Funding for establishing the quality system is inadequateCritics of ISO 9000 contend that achieving certification can be a very costly process, especially for smaller firms. Indeed, according to a 1996 Quality Systems Update survey, the average cost of ISO certification for small firms (those registering less than $11 million in annual sales) was $71, 000. Heavy emphasis on documentationThe ISO 9000 certification process relies heavily on documentation of internal operating procedures in many areas, and as Meyer stated, "many say ISO's exacting documentation requirements gobble up time. Indeed, there are horror stories about companies losing substantial business because a documentation obsession redirected their priorities." According to Nation's Business, small business owners need to find an appropriate balance between ISO documentation requirements, which are admittedly "one is ISO 9000's hallmarks, " and attending to the fundamental business of running a company: "Strike a balance among obsessively writing down every employee's task, offering training for the work, and letting common sense dictate how a task is to be performed." Length of the processBusiness executives and owners familiar with the ISO 9000 registration process warn that it is a process that takes many months to complete. The 1996 Quality Systems Update survey indicated that it took businesses an average of 15 months to move from the early stages of the process to passage of the final audit, and that processes of 18-20 months or even longer were not that uncommon.

ISO 1400 The ISO 14000 series was developed in 1996, by the International Organization for Standardization The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations (a) Minimize how their operations (processes etc.) negatively affect the environment (i.e. cause adverse changes to air, water, or land) (b) Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements (c) Continually improve in the above.. List of ISO 14000 series standards

ISO 14001 Environmental management systemsRequirements with guidance for use ISO 14004 Environmental management systemsGeneral guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques ISO 14015 Environmental assessment of sites and organizations ISO 14020 series (14020 to 14025) Environmental labels and declarations ISO 14031 Environmental performance evaluationGuidelines ISO 14040 series (14040 to 14049), Life Cycle Assessment, LCA, discusses preproduction planning and environment goal setting. ISO 14050 terms and definitions. ISO 14062 discusses making improvements to environmental impact goals. ISO 14063 Environmental communicationGuidelines and examples ISO 14064 Measuring, quantifying, and reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions. ISO 19011 which specifies one audit protocol for both 14000 and 9000 series standards together. This replaces ISO 14011 meta-evaluationhow to tell if your intended regulatory tools worked. 19011 is now the only recommended way to determine this.

Benefits
ISO 14001 was developed primarily to assist companies in reducing their environmental impact, but in addition to an improvement in environmental standards and performance, organisations can reap a number of economic benefits including higher conformance with legislative and regulatory requirements by utilizing the ISO standard. Firstly by minimizing the risk of regulatory and environmental liability fines and improving an organizations efficiency, leading to a reduction in waste and consumption of resources, operating costs can be reduced Secondly, as an internationally recognized standard, businesses operating in multiple locations across the globe can register as ISO 14001 compliant, eliminating the need for multiple registrations or certifications.

 Thirdly there has been a push in the last decade by consumers, for companies to adopt stricter environmental regulations, making the incorporation of ISO 14001 a greater necessity for the long term viability of businesses and providing them with a competitive advantage against companies that do not adopt the standard. This in turn can have a positive impact on a companys asset value and can lead to improved public perceptions of the business, placing them in a better position to operate in the international marketplace. Finally it can serve to reduce trade barriers between registered businesses. Organizations can significantly benefit from EMS implementation through the identification of large cleaner production projects. ISO 14001 can be a very effective tool to identify these cost savings opportunities for some organizations. Some other organizations can falter in its planning, lack of senior management commitment and poor understanding of how it should be implemented and find themselves managing an ineffective EMS. Improvements that organizations can take include adequately planning its structure and allocating adequate resources, providing training, creating forums for discussion, setting measurable targets and work according to the philosophy of continuous improvement

Basic principles and methodology The fundamental principle and overall goal of the ISO 14001 standard, is the concept of continual improvement. ISO 14001 is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology which has been expanded to include 17 elements, grouped into five phases that relate to Plan-Do-CheckAct; Environmental Policy, Planning, Implementation & Operation, Checking & Corrective Action and lastly Management Review. Plan establish objectives and processes required Prior to implementing ISO 14001, an initial review or gap analysis of the organizations processes and products is recommended, to assist in identifying all elements of the current operation and if possible future operations, that may interact with the environment, termed environmental aspects. Environmental aspects can include both direct, such as those used during manufacturing and indirect, such as raw materials. This review assists the organization in establishing their environmental objectives, goals and targets, which should ideally be measurable; helps with the development of control and management procedures and processes and serves to highlight any relevant legal requirements, which can then be built into the policy.

Do implement the processes During this stage the organization identifies the resources required and works out those members of the organization responsible for the EMS implementation and control (Martin 1998). This includes documentation of all procedures and processes; including operational and documentation control, the establishment of emergency procedures and responses, and the education of employees, to ensure they can competently implement the necessary processes and record results. Communication and participation across all levels of the organization, especially top management is a vital part of the implementation phase, with the effectiveness of the EMS being dependent on active involvement from all employees. Check measure and monitor the processes and report results During the check stage, performance is monitored and periodically measured to ensure that the organizations environmental targets and objectives are being met. In addition, internal audits are regularly conducted to ascertain whether the EMS itself is being implemented properly and whether the processes and procedures are being adequately maintained and monitored Act take action to improve performance of EMS based on results After the checking stage, a regular planned management review is conducted to ensure that the objectives of the EMS are being met, the extent to which they are being met, that communications are being appropriately managed and to evaluate changing circumstances, such as legal requirements, in order to make recommendations for further improvement of the system (Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand 2004). These recommendations are then fed back into the planning stage to be implemented into the EMS moving forward. Continual Improvement Process The core requirement of a continual improvement process (CIP) is different from the one known from quality management systems. CIP in ISO 14001 has three dimensions.

Expansion: More and more business areas get covered by the implemented EMS. Enrichment: More and more activities, products, processes, emissions, resources etc. get managed by the implemented EMS. Upgrading: An improvement of the structural and organizational framework of the EMS, as well as an accumulation of know-how in dealing with business related environmental issues.

Overall, the CIP-concept expects the organization to gradually move away from merely operational environmental measures towards a strategic approach on how to deal with environmental challenges.