The abbreviation of ISO is derived from a word Greek “ISOS”, which means “Equal”; The purpose of ISO is how to provide from the first time a valid and successful product or service? The ISO 9000 is the most vital standard for all company that observe the international standard as it set out and document the quality management and quality assurance in order to develop and sustain the quality system of the organization. 

The International Organization for Standardization: It is the International Organization for Standardization, and it is a global federation based in “Geneva” – Switzerland – and its membership includes more than 90 national standardization bodies. which may include several sub-committees and working groups. Founded in 1946 Geneva, the ISO 9000 became the only series that is accepted internationally. 

ISO development stages: Liberalizing international trade requires a system that is unified, or acceptable to all parties; Its main objective is to evaluate the quality of mutual products and services. This system has been developed by the International Standards Organization – one of the United Nations specialized agencies located in Geneva – which works in the field of global standardization of various goods, products and materials and it has recently established foundations, controls and standards for a quality mark within a comprehensive program for quality as a means of promoting in the field of manufacturing and international trade.

It should be noted that after the First World War, ideas and a nucleus of the subject were formed, and then a series of American military standards were formed after World War II; And then the British Standard No. 5750 was issued, and then the ISO organization issued specifications that are applicable and measurable in organizations in the name of the ISO 9000 family.

ISO Standards: The ISO 9000 standards are divided into 4 parts: 9001, 9002, 9003, and 9004, and are considered a source for identifying and defining the rest of the series:

• ISO 9001 is the most comprehensive document in the chain applicable to companies engaged in design, development, manufacture, arrangement and services, and specifies a quality system for use; When contracts require an explanation of the supplier’s ability to design, manufacture, install and service the product. ISO 9001 also deals with areas such as investigation and correction of errors during production, personnel training, documentation and data control.
• ISO 9002 applies to goods that do not require design, defines quality assurance in production, installation and service.
• ISO 9003 is applied to all companies, and defines a quality system model for final inspection and testing.
• ISO 9004 defines the elements of quality referred to in previous documents in greater detail, and provides guidelines for quality management and for the elements of a quality system required to develop and implement a quality system.

Companies receives ISO 9000 certification after audit; To ensure that it complies with ISO 9000 standards by a recognized certification body, ISO 9000 has become increasingly important in the past few years; Because exporters have discovered that compliance with it, while not binding, is crucial to success in foreign markets. Customers all over the world are becoming more concerned with quality and demand that these specifications be met as a minimum.

Family 9000 Standard Specifications:

ISO 2005:9000 (Quality Management System – Terms) Definitions of terms.

ISO 2000: 9001 (Quality Management System – Requirements) 8 clauses, 3 non-major, 5 majors, including 23 minor clauses.

ISO 2000: 9004 (Quality management system—Guidelines for improving performance).

Note: 9001 is part of 9004, but the main reference is 9001 in improvement and development in 9004, however, here no certification is given in 9004. The international standard ISO 9001:2008 has been issued and the latest version of the standard is now ISO 9001:2015

It is worth noting that there are also many types of ISO  specifications, including: Quality Management System 9000, Environmental Management System ISO 14001, Food Safety Management System ISO 22000, Occupational Health Safety and Security System ISO 18001, and Information Technology Services Management System ISO 20000, and others.