So what exactly is ISO 9001?

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards are implemented by some 887 770 organizations in 161 countries. ISO 9000 has become an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings, and ISO 14000 is well on the way to achieving as much, if not more, in enabling organizations to meet their environmental challenges.

The ISO 9000 family is primarily concerned with "quality management". This means what the organization does to fulfill:

- the customer's quality requirements, and
- applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
- enhance customer satisfaction, and
- achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.


The ISO 14000 family is primarily concerned with "environmental management". This means what the organization does to:

- minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities, and to
- achieve continual improvement of its environmental performance.


Why do you need to know this?

ISO 9000 is sweeping the world. It is rapidly becoming the most important quality standard. Thousands of companies in over 100 countries have already adopted it, and many more are in the process of doing so. Why? Because it controls quality. It saves money. Customers expect it. And competitors use it.

ISO 9000 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn't matter what size they are or what they do. It can help both product and service oriented organizations achieve standards of quality that are recognized and respected throughout the world.

There are some PMP Exam questions that touch on ISO standards. This small piece of knowledge may help you in understanding those questions a little better.