What to expect from ISO 9001 in supply chains

Just what can purchasers reasonably expect from suppliers who put forward their company's ISO 9001 certification as an argument in favour of their products or services? ISO provides answers to this and related questions in an updated edition of its online brochure, ISO 9001 – What does it mean in the supply chain?

The document is particularly aimed at purchasing managers of business enterprises and public sector officials responsible for procurement, but it will also be useful for organizations representing consumer interests – as well as for consumers themselves.

ISO 9001 is implemented by organizations in 176 countries and has become the global benchmark for quality management systems (QMS). The standard is used as a framework for providing assurance about the supplier's ability to satisfy quality requirements and ISO 9001 certification is often a market requirement for suppliers to participate in supply chains or to bid for procurement contracts. It is also widely used as a marketing argument by companies selling goods or services to consumers.

For these reasons, the update of ISO 9001 – What does it mean in the supply chain? is timely. It provides concise answers to common questions such as:

• What does “conformity to ISO 9001” mean?
• How does ISO 9001 help you in selecting a supplier?
• How can purchasers be sure that the products they receive will meet their requirements?
• How can you have confidence that your supplier meets ISO 9001?
• Can suppliers claim that their goods or services meet ISO 9001?
• What can a customer do if things go wrong?

In addition, the document serves as a "mini-primer" to ISO 9001 because it includes brief, but essential, explanations of the standard, quality management systems and the options for claiming conformity with ISO 9001.

The online brochure has been updated by Dr. Nigel H. Croft, the founding co-chair of the ISO 9000 Advisory Group, which developed the original version of the document, and who was been appointed to chair subcommittee SC 2, which is responsible for developing the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards, of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance.

Dr. Croft comments: "The brochure provides purchasers with the information needed to ensure that the ISO 9001 standard is used to its full potential in the business-to-business supply chain."

ISO 9001 – What does it mean in the supply chain? is available as an online, electronic document only. It can be accessed free of charge on the Management standards section of the ISO Web site.