WHAT IS ISO 9001:2000?

Many of the international standards begin with the letters "ISO",
the abbreviation for the "International Organization for Standardization."
This worldwide federation of 148 (at present) national standards
bodies works to promote the growth of manufacturing, trade and
communication among business operations worldwide, through
the development of generic quality standards.

   The most widely recognized standard is the ISO 9000 series, a basic quality management system
that can be used in industries of any size, anywhere in the world. Registration to ISO 9001:2000
(or other quality standard) provides objective proof that a business has implemented an effective
quality management system, and that it satisfies all of the requirements of the applicable standard.
An external, impartial expert called a registrar conducts an on-site audit to determine whether or
not a compa  ny is in conformance to the standard. If they are found to be in conformance, they will
 be issued a certificate showing their address, scope of operations and the seals of the accreditation
bodies that give the registrar its legitimacy.

The latest revision of the ISO 9000 standard was released in December 2000. ISO 9001:2000 constitutes
a major revision of the earlier 1994 standard. The ISO 9002 and 9003 documents were discontinued after
 December 2003, with ISO 9001 becoming the only auditable standard. ISO 9001:2000 was rewritten to
better apply to all types of companies, not just large manufacturing concerns. Also, the new structure of
the standard was designed to be more compatible with ISO 14001, the environmental management standard.

ENTER HERE for more information on the ISO 9000
The Standard for World Class Quality and how it protects our customers.