AM-97-43 ISO 9000 IMPROVES QUALITY - FACT OR FICTION

Description:

During the last few years companies in countries all over the industrial world have been in registration pursuit of one of the three IS0 9000 quality standards. The Big Three automotive companies and their tier one suppliers led the way in the United States not only with their companies registering to one of the standards, but also requiring their suppliers to register to one of the standards. The standards originally were conceived as a mechanism of assuring quality products without restricting trade in Europe. By using one international standard for the continent rather than a standard for each country the European Union opened the door for cooperation of the industrialized world in accepting one measurement system for quality. But does it really work? Does it really guarantee quality products and service? That has become one of the major debates in the business and industry community. There are even debates among the quality professionals as to the real contributions of the 9000 standards series. Is it fact or fiction that a company’s ability to obtain an IS0 9001, 9002 or 9003 registration really improves its quality? This paper examines one philosophical point of view that tries to answer that question. Recognizing that every philosophy is biased depending on the position of the believer, I have tried to present a position based on the experience of implementing IS0 9001 and 9002 registrations and compliance as well as developing quality systems that add value to an organization.