Quality Management in ISO Certification

Quality Management in ISO Quality Management is a very important aspect to firms looking to perform well and earn more in the modern market. The meaning of the term differs from one sector to another. Quality management does not necessarily offer an assurance of a good quality commodity. Rather, the term as used by most business sectors is synonym for product consistency (Pfeifer, 2002). The quality of a firm product dictates the amount of engagement with customers and other industry players. Despite being difficult to realize, product quality is a necessity in every organization.

Issues surrounding the efficiency of companies or the quality of their products often arise during daily operations. To grasp fully what quality management entails, the essay seeks to comment on what a quality body; the International organization for standardization (ISO) is doing to foster the same in the global arena.

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ISO is a body that seeks to interrogate a system to ensure that consumer expectations are met through the advancement of a quality management process. International Organization for Standardization is arguably the largest publisher, developer and distributor of internationally recognized quality standards. As globalization is taking root, most countries are opening up their markets to international firms. The quality of their products is important to ensure the health of citizens is taken care (Cannon & McCarthy, n.d). Therefore, ISO comes in handy to ensure that quality standards are upheld and customer needs are met at all levels. During the interrogation of a firm, ISO looks to advance a quality system starting with how a company management is organized. In addition, the quality body is keen at ensuring a system is poised to increase productivity over time without necessarily compromising product quality.

The quality management body is embedded with the necessity of a firm to decrease relatively its production costs while ensuring the quality of processes are upheld at all times. The standards advanced by this international body cuts across all sectors of an economy i.e. it applies to both business firms and organizations either profit driven or nonprofit oriented (Goetsch & Davis, 2012). The aforementioned is guided by ISO approach of analyzing systems, an approach that focuses on company processes. A process often guides a business or an Organization and its interrogation makes ISO applicable. With divergent membership, ISO is abler to source idea and adopt a sound ground of a standard i.e. one that will foster the much needed flexibility in the contemporary society. ISO (International Organization for standardization) is a body that has a good collection of procedures otherwise known as guidelines that help a firm interrogate and align its management system with the quality requirements of a sector. It is noteworthy to state it upfront that ISO guidelines are often flexible.

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This flexibility in their guidelines is what allows their usage by different business establishments and organization.

ISO approach of interrogating business processes is process driven. This implies that it is not keen on departmental processes. The move to accredit a firm based on its processes keeps firms on toes as they are forced to rethink their processes. To help firms understand, ISO guidelines outline a number of ways a company can merge processes. However, this is guided by the need for quality in the product. ISO audits a system to ascertain its effectiveness both in quality and service delivery before extending certification. The audits are all inclusive as it expects users to comment on the prototype advanced by a given firm. A customer is considered the boss during this process and their satisfaction is paramount otherwise no accreditation is granted (Murphy & Yates, 2009).

Quality standards are important in the daily lives of human beings. ISO ensures that consumers are protected at all times against low quality and dangerous products. Although ISO standards are not much talked about, their presence could be much appreciated given they were nonexistent. This is because firms could not mind satisfying the needs of each individual consumer. It is apparent that the ISO guidelines and standards are often taken for granted by the society. However, its importance cannot be brushed off. ISO ensures quality production of products that will ensure safety to consumers. In addition, companies through their guidelines will produce goods and services that are environmental friendly. Moreover, ISO advances a good number of benefits to firms looking to increase their revenue and profitability over time. Being well versed with their standards, businesses are able to align their strategy to the production of goods that are globally accepted and standardized. This implies that produced products can be traded in a good number of countries that are ISO members and are party with the ISO standards.

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In addition, ISO standards foster efficiency of company processes in that it ensures the incorporation of innovative technologies in production. Moreover, the flexibility of ISO guidelines eases the recognition of an invention where the body is party to the designation of terminologies to be used as well as product marketing. Apart from business and organization benefits, ISO standards also benefits governments. To a government, ISO standards provide a platform for the evaluation of product quality and ultimate safety of its citizens. In addition, it helps in the monitoring and enhancement of sound trading between economies who share the same ISO standards in their transactions. Third world economies accrue many advantages from ISO standards. These countries are able to harness relevant market information to help it understand different standards of different economies. This will ensure that these developing economies produce goods and services whose quality met the international standards (Gitlow, Oppenheim, Oppenheim & Levine, 2004).

ISO helps ease the exchange of information between different players in an economy.

This is largely due to its membership criteria where countries are represented equally. Although a public servant represents most countries, some countries have individuals from the private sector to represent them. This freedom to have members come from different economic sectors allows ISO to develop sound standards that addresses both the private and public sector demands. It is apparent that the standardization body is not skewed in prioritizing sectors. The move also bridges the gap between the two important sectors of the economy, the private and public sector (Holtsnider & Jaffe, 2012).

In conclusion, quality management is an important process that ensures consumer satisfaction is guaranteed at all times. Through the guidelines postulated by the quality body, the society is accruing many benefits i.e. they are assured of quality and safe products. Government

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arms responsible for the quality assurances need to formulate sound laws and legislation to cushion the public from substandard products. In addition, stringent penalties need to be adopted to punish those individuals and businesses that are not willing to subscribe to quality processes.

Despite sound quality guiding measures, firms need to be consistent in the production of quality products to ensure they attract and retain consumers. In addition, this will help them contain complaints and cut down costs.

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Cannon, P., & McCarthy. (n.d). Operations & supply chain management for the 21st Century.

South-Western: Cengage Learning.

Gitlow, H., Oppenheim, R., Oppenheim, A., & Levine, D. (2004). Quality management. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Goetsch, D., & Davis, S. (2012). Quality management for organizational excellence: Introduction to total quality. Canada: Pearson College Division.

Holtsnider, B., & Jaffe, B. (2012). It manager's handbook: Getting your new job done.

Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Murphy, C., & Yates, J. (2009). The International Organization for Standardization (ISO): Global governance through voluntary consensus. Oxford: Taylor & Francis.

Pfeifer, T. (2002). Quality management. London: Hanser Verlag.