Whilst reading this thread, I saw ISO 9001 mentioned and recalled that years ago, I wondered what it was–but apparently didn’t care enough to find out and had forgotten all about it.
Now, however, I gotta know. Especially after trying to google it and finding gems like (from the ISO website):
Huh? What is ISO xxxx and what does it mean to be “ISO xxxx” compliant?
It means that while you may not do the thing right, you do it wrong the exact same way every time.
That might be a little too cynical an answer though.
It is basically a way for companies to write down and follow their internal processes. If you are manufacturing an automobile component there will be specific steps involved. ISO requires that these steps be written down, followed and understood by all people involved. Ideally it is supposed to help identify bottle necks, inefficiencies, lead to simplification and make people think about how the damn thing is suppose to work.
It says nothing about the quality of the steps, just the consistency.
I still stand by my first statement though. 
As far as i’ve been able to fathom, the ISOs are meant to be international standards of “best practice” etc. in a variety of areas (e.g. management, process standardisation etc.) i suppose the idea is that if you have an established international standard in these things then it makes it easier for you to determine which companies are good to use - because they will carry the standard.
They do smack, however, of management doublespeak and buzzwords which is why you’ll find techies and other lowly non-managers often take the piss a bit about them - see dilbert cartoons for a good example.
Another good example is this - and i have no idea where it came from but i know other techies who do it:
<conversation>
Co-worker: Garius mate, cup of tea? i’m knocking up a brew.
Garius: Cheers mate - i’d kill for a cuppa.
Co-worker: How do you want it?
Garius: ISO Standard.
Co-worker: No probs.
</conversation>
What will i get?
A cup of white tea, one sugar, milk poured in first.
Minor point and slightly off OP, but ISO certification is essential in many professions (mine included) in order to be on tender lists for government work and to undertake particular types of jobs.
Without accreditation there is no way a practice can be considered for such jobs. You have to demonstrate a certain level of professional competence.
It is a necessary evil, a pain for employees but a need for employers. And if carried out correctly under a decent QA system, it sure can help cover your ass when you get hauled into court
The paper trail is truly invaluable in that case, even if the admin involved eats up damn near a 1/4 of your day, every day.
ISO is a good way for companies to spend millions of dollars training people and implementing processes in order to save a few hundred bucks in process improvement.
As I write this I have our company’s ISO9001 manual open before me. At my last company, I was the one who pushed our ISO program through to completion and three three audits.
ISO9001 and its companion types (ISO9002, ISO9003) are systems set up to be certain that we have a documented and regular procedure for our manufacturing, and for tracking problems and customer complaints. The idea is that we have a comprehensible and fully documented procedure that possible customers (especially government customers) can turn to to look things up, and that we can, if called upon, check back after an error or complaint has been found/registered and locate the damage done and correct it.
As you might imagine, this can easily turn into a colossal waste of time, energy, and paper. A well-run ISO system tries to be as unobtrusive as possible, with a minimum of forms in triplicate, useless meetings, and the like. There’s no point in setting up an exhaustive paperwork system if people are so daunted by it that they never fill out any paperwork.
Years after I set up the ISOsystem and left the company, I found a chapter devoted to it in Scott Adams’ book The Dilbert Principle. I’m glad I didn’t know about it at the time. I would’ve laughed myself to death, or gone down in despair. But a well-run ISO system ought not to be a Dilbert exercise.
Thanks, all, for demystifying this for me. Unless I am corrected, I’ll just assume that ISO 9xxx is just some kind of “Standard Model for Paperwork”–and probably look up that Dilbert book next chance I get.
Again, Grazie!
I might add that some vendors or manufactors require that companies they deal with be ISO certified. This explains why carriers who wish to transport parts to GM plants have ISO certification.
I think Dave Barry said “ISO 9000 and 9001 were created by European Communists to cripple Western productivity.”
I quoted that in a meeting and then found that our new VP was an emigre from one of the European, formerly-Communist , countries. Oh well.
Getting OT and into opinion but ; Seriously, I was involved in a company that tried to do ISO9001 ‘right’ and by the books and it did a lot more harm then good. If I ever have my own company I’m hanging a sign outsiode that says “Not ISO Certified.” (Around eastern Mass. its not unusual to see companies drape mammoth banners on their building proclaiming the achivement of certification.)
I was nominated the ISO-9000 Quality Manager for our small lab.
ISO-9000 is an internationally-recognized quality system. It says you must have procedures for document control, purchasing, design control, calibration, training, vendor qualifications, audits, etc. In reality, ISO is really not a quality system, in my opinion; it is a documentation system. As long as you document everything, you’ll be fine. As others have mentioned, it has absolutely nothing to do with product quality or customer satisfaction, which is why it won’t be around for much longer. You can make concrete life preservers and get ISO-9000 registered…
Yeah, but they’d be perfectly uniform concrete life preservers, with all accredited and/or ISO9001 suppliers, and with all procedures and standards traceable.
The Scott Adams book, in case it wasn’t already mentioned, is The Dilbert Principle. If I remember correctly, Mr. Adams’ take on ISO 9000 was dreamed up by a bunch of drunk Europeans, where 9000 is the number of beers drunk that night and ISO is one of many phrases for “is that your beer?”
Honestly, this is one of things I just don’t understand. Though I admit my life would be more complete with a Terry Tate there to tackle people for not using a coversheet on their TPS report.
ISO9002 certification is what got me a job a few summers ago. My mom’s boyfriend worked at a plastics company which needed someone computer-literate to assist in the update and I was hired.
I was hired out as an independent contractor and made $12/hr to do mundane officework (I was ecstatic at the time). I was so enthusiastic in fact, my tasks (which were supposed to take all summer to complete) actually got finished in a mere 3 weeks and I spent the rest of the summer working as an overpaid janitor 
I endorse Grey’s comments.
The company I work for paid a shitload of money and bucket loads of ungainfully spent time for ISO9001 accreditation because several key (US based, global) customers threatened that without it they wouldn’t purchase from us.
Of course, there hasn’t been the faintest hint on carrying through on this and non-accredited suppliers still get a fair swag of the business.
I remember well one section of our procurement costing procedures that, stripped of jargon, says “the first costing is alway wrong, so we correct it later.”
ISO auditors had no problem with this, however during one of the audits the office staff found that the warehouse had actually got the costing exactly right and therefore didn’t reverse and correct it. We copped a magor non-compliance. :smack:
Some of the applicable dilbert cartoons can be found here.
In all fairness, I have to add that a well-managed ISO9001 system can be really usefull. (Although it rarely feels that way…)
Add to that the fact that there are whole businesses devoted to “Quality Audits” to assure that you’re following the documentation that you put in place, regardless of circumstances, and it can get to be quite an industry.
Interesting note: If a company with many offices is ISO certified, and an audit of 1 office shows it is out of compliance, the whole company can loose their certification.
ISO certification can be great, when you have a shop that actually produces a product… consistent quality in manufacturing is a great thing. But when you’re getting certified for a Data Center that doesn’t actually produce anything, it can get a bit bizarre.
Of course if you loved ISOxxxx you’ll adore TL9000 and its varients. Basically an expansion on a theme. There may actually be a concern about effective processes and their documentation. It feels a lot like ISO when the audits and in-house training slide packs start drifting around.
http://www.eaglegroupusa.com/TL9000.htm
First google site that looked right. Just for reference.