The ISO 9000 Standard is generic and independent of any specific industry or economic sector. It is equally applicable to both small and large companies, including service providers and distributors. Companies usually initiate an ISO 9000 project due to customer demand. Along the way they discover that, when properly implemented, the ISO 9000 management system saves money, reduces costs, and increases product quality and employee productivity. The ISO 9000 series was revised and reissued on December 13, 2000.
More emphasis is placed on continuous improvement.
Quality objectives need to be specific and measureable, and deployed throughout the organization. ISO 9002 and 9003 have been cancelled. All certificates will be issued to ISO 9001 and will describe the scope of your certification. Following the date of issue certified companies have three years to comply. QS 9000 is a more prescriptive version of ISO 9000, and reflects the demands of the automotive industry.