Overview of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in brief
• ISO
9001 and ISO 14001 are among ISO’s most well-known standards ever.
• They
are implemented by more than a million organizations in some 175
countries.
• ISO
9001 helps organizations to implement quality management.
• ISO
14001 helps organizations to implement environmental management.
Quality management
• ISO
9001 is for quality management.
• Quality
refers to all those features of a product (or service) which are required by
the customer.
• Quality
management means what the
organization does to
• ensure
that its products or services satisfy the customer’s quality requirements
and
• comply
with any regulations applicable to those products or services.
• Quality
management also means what the organization does to
• enhance
customer satisfaction, and
• achieve
continual improvement of its performance.
Environmental management
• ISO
14001 is for environmental management. This means what the organization
does to:
• minimize
harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities,
• to
conform to applicable regulatory requirements, and to
• achieve
continual improvement of its environmental performance.
Generic standards
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are generic standards.
Generic means that the same standards can be applied:
• to
any organization, large or small, whatever its product or service,
• in
any sector of activity, and
• whether
it is a business enterprise, a public administration, or a government
department.
Generic also signifies that
• no
matter what the organization’s scope of activity
• if
it wants to establish a quality management system, ISO 9001 gives the
essential features
• or
if it wants to establish an environmental management system, ISO 14001
gives the essential features.
Management systems
• Management
system means what the organization does to manage its processes, or
activities in order that
• its
products or services meet the organization’s objectives, such as
• satisfying
the customer’s quality requirements,
• complying
to regulations, or
• meeting
environmental objectives
• To
be really efficient and effective, the organization can manage its way of doing
things by systemizing it.
• Nothing
important is left out.
• Everyone is clear about who is responsible
for doing what, when, how, why and where.
• Management
system standards provide the organization with an international,
state-of-the-art model to follow.
• Large
organizations, or ones with complicated processes, could not function well
without management systems.
• Companies
in such fields as aerospace, automobiles, defence, or health care devices have
been operating management systems for years.
• The
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 management system standards now make these
successful practices available for all organizations.
Processes, not products
• Both
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 concern the way an organization goes about its work.
• They
are not product standards.
• They are not service standards.
• They
are process standards.
• They can be used by product
manufacturers and service providers.
• Processes
affect final products or services.
• ISO
9001 gives the requirements for what the organization must do to manage processes
affecting quality of its products and services.
• ISO
14001 gives the requirements for what the organization must do to manage processes
affecting the impact of its activities on the environment.
Certification and registration
• Certification is known in some countries as registration.
• It means that an independent,
external body has audited an organization’s management system and verified
that it conforms to the requirements specified in the standard (ISO 9001 or ISO
14001).
• ISO does not carry out certification and does not issue or approve
certificates,
Accreditation
• Accreditation
is like certification of the certification body.
• It
means the formal approval by a specialized body – an accreditation body – that
a certification body is competent to carry out ISO 9001:2008 or ISO 14001:2004
certification in specified business sectors.
• Certificates
issued by accredited certification bodies – and known as accredited
certificates – may be perceived on the market as having increased
credibility.
• ISO does not carry out or approve
accreditations.
Certification not a requirement
• Certification
is not a requirement of ISO 9001 or ISO 14001.
• The
organization can implement and benefit from an ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 system
without having it certified.
• The
organization can implement them for the internal benefits without spending
money on a certification programme.
Certification is a business decision
• Certification
is a decision to be taken for business reasons:
• if
it is a contractual, regulatory, or market requirement,
• If
it meets customer preferences
• it
is part of a risk management programme, or
• if
it will motivate staff by setting a clear goal.
ISO does not certify
• ISO does not carry out ISO 9001 or
ISO 14001 certifications.
• ISO does not issue certificates.
• ISO does not accredit, approve or
control the certification bodies.
• ISO develops standards and guides
to encourage good practice in accreditation and certification.