ISO 9001 is the international standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that specifies requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS). QMS, as many references have defined, is the overall organizational structure, procedures, processes and resources needed to implement quality management and to achieve quality objectives and to provide continual improvement of the products and services that an organization provides. The ISO 9001 standard, being the specification for requirements, provides the framework for establishing the system for quality assurance for products or services or the necessary policies and procedures and other support documentation. There are many reasons why organizations establish their QMS in accordance with ISO 9001 standard:

1. For certification – ISO 9001 certification is the common reason as it provides confidence to existing and prospective customers of the organization that it is able to provide products or services that enhance customer satisfaction.
2. For contractual purposes – some industries like manufacturing find supplier quality program as one of the essential elements of their quality system and it is for this reason that contractual agreements with suppliers include ISO 9001 certification.
3. For self-declaration of compliance – this can only be achieved if internal quality audit or 2nd party audit results (as in the case of conglomerates) demonstrates effective quality audit program.

The following are the common benefits for adopting ISO 9001 standard:

1. Provides opportunities to streamline the company’s processes, that is, integrating systems and procedures using the ISO 9001 framework;
2. Identifies critical aspects of the organization’s business processes to be controlled and measured (in terms of quality objectives);
3. Provides a structured approach in identifying areas for improvement;
4. Establishes clear position descriptions – identifies overlapping functions, reinforces performance management system;
5. Establishes an efficient records and files management system;
6. Promotes total organization involvement/sense of ownership.