Volume 6 · Issue 5 · May 2001

Contents

Page 1...

ISO 9000:2000, Fundamentals and Vocabulary: Look Here First

Art Gold writes that many organizations and their top management do not understand how to effectively develop a customer focus within an organization and then develop a QMS geared to this focus and continual improvement. Yet, pursuit of these two elements is linked to the changing role of top management in an ISO 9001:2000-based QMS. In part 1 of a 2-part series, Gold discusses the development of ISO 9000:2000, which presents answers to the whys, hows and whats of QMS implementation, use, maintenance and improvement. He then explores the idea that the clauses and subclauses of Section 2 should be viewed as a very effective and comprehensive set of FAQs on QMS issues that an organization can use to help support its implementation, registration and continual improvement processes. Gold then "walks through" the clauses and subclauses of Section 2, which describe the fundamentals of QMSs, to show what assistance these descriptions can provide.