There is no shortage of standards. There are standards that define how something should be made vs. those related to processes, such as ISO 9001. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), standards that provide requirements or give guidance on good management practice are among the best known of ISO’s offerings. Having achieved truly global status and thoroughly integrated with the world economy, ISO 9001:2000 (the transition to ISO 9001:2008 is now taking place) establishes requirements for quality management systems (QMS). It’s the most implemented standard for providing assurance about an organization’s ability to satisfy quality requirements and enhance customer satisfaction in supplier-customer relationships.

At the most basic level, standards are simply the application of tried-and-tested best practices. Standards focus on the products or services delivered, the business processes followed, and the way a business is managed as a whole.

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