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How can ISO 9001 Help you Manage your Supply Chain?

Be sure that your suppliers understand your expectations. Be confident that you are selecting suppliers that consistently provide products and services that meet your needs. Conformity to ISO 9001 means your supplier has an established quality management system (QMS) or approach that manages its business to ensure your needs and expectations are fulfilled.

Note: A statement of conformity to ISO 9001 should not be considered a substitute for a declaration or statement of product or service conformity. –Source 

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is an International Standard that gives requirements for an organization’s quality management system (QMS). It is part of a family of standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) often referred to collectively as the “ISO 9000 series” or “ISO 9000 family”.

The objective of ISO 9001 is to provide a set of requirements that, if effectively implemented, will give you confidence that your supplier can consistently provide products and services that:

  • Meet your needs and expectations
  • Comply with applicable regulations

Have Confidence Your Supplier Meets Requirements

A declaration by your supplier itself affirming that its QMS meets ISO 9001 requirements, usually supported by legally binding signatures. This declaration can be based on your suppliers’ internal audit system, second-party, or third-party audits.

Second-Party Assessments

Your supplier has been assessed directly by its customer (for example, by you or another customer whose reputation you respect) to check if its QMS meets ISO 9001 requirements

Third-Party Assessment

Also referred to as certification or registration. Your supplier hires an impartial third party, a certification body or “Registrar” to conduct an assessment to verify conformity to ISO 9001 requirements. This third party then issues a certificate to your supplier describing the scope that it conforms to ISO 9001.

Summary

Additional confidence can be derived from certification bodies (registrars) that are accredited by national or internationally recognized accreditation bodies that verify the certification body’s independence and competency to carry out the certification process. Many accreditation bodies have multilateral arrangements under the umbrella of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to promote worldwide mutual recognition in support of World Trade Organization (WTO) free trade principles.

– Originally posted on ISO.org “ISO 9001 – What does it mean in the supply chain”. Read the full publication for a more in depth analysis.