The goal of ISO 9000 is to assure registered companies provide products and services of consistent and predictable quality that meet or exceed customer needs. To become registered, an organization's quality system and operations are scrutinized by third party auditors for compliance to the standard. Upon successful registration, an organization is issued a certificate from a registration body represented by the auditors. Organizations seek ISO registration for many reasons, among them market forces and internal needs. An organization's customers may require registration in order to continue doing business.
Some organizations use the registration process as an opportunity to improve their quality systems.
ISO registration is viewed by some organizations as a competitive advantage that can be advertised and used to expand market share. For any organization, it is important to be prepared to answer queries about why ISO registration is or is not included as part of its quality strategy. If your organization decides to pursue registration, it is important to establish a plan to achieve it. Developing a registration plan begins with an assessment of your current practices against the ISO requirements. This assessment is used to scope the registration effort and to identify areas of your quality system that require attention.