Ask the Business Doctor: "With all the quality standards available, which one should I pursue?

Question: With all the quality standards available, which one should my company pursue? Steve C. – Amherst

Answer:

When developing a quality system there are choices as to which standard to pursue for certification. ISO 9000, AS 9100, ISO 13485, and TS 16949 are the most common. A primary factor influencing this decision is the requirements of the market you serve. However, if your customer base falls into different markets the decision is not as obvious.

Fortunately these standards are all based on the ISO 9000 standard and there is a great deal of commonality and benefit. Developing an ISO 9000 compliant quality system will ensure that processes are well-defined and create the discipline to follow and improve on the system. Activities such as management review, internal auditing, document control and corrective action will be established that will continually improve your business practices.

When deciding if a different standard is worth pursuing, review the requirements to understand both the burden and benefits to your business. Depending on the type of product or service, some of the additional requirements can be easily addressed. Others might require a great deal of time with minimal return. Keep in mind that an ISO 9000 compliant system will provide the basic building blocks and different certifications could be built upon this base.