The Role Of Quality Standards

Introduction:

Quality standards are not mandatory requirements and are issued as guidelines to be implemented by any organisation.

Contents of a typical quality systems standard:

1 scope

2 Definitions

3 Requirements

a Quality assurance programme

b Organisation

c Audits

d Quality programme documents

e Verification of quality

f System functions

Contract review

-Design assurance

-Document control

-Measurement and testing equipment

-Purchasing

-Incoming inspection

-In-process inspection

-Final inspection

-Inspection stabs

-Identification and traceability

-Handling and sorting

-Manufacturing and construction

-Special processes

-Presentation, packaging and shipping

-Quality records

-Non-conformance

-Customer supplied items

-Corrective action

They are therefore generic models which can be applied by the smallest organisation to a multinational one. Most standards are multi-stage processes and follow the procedure of SORTING - VERIFYING - REACTING - PREVENTING.

The most widely used model for the implementation of quality assurance systems is the IS0 9000 series developed by the International Standards Organisation. This model contains the following parts:

IS0/9000 Quality management and quality assurance standards and guidelines;

IS0/9001-3 Quality systems (three models); Assurance models encompassing design, development, production, installation and servicing capabilities;

IS0/9004 Guidelines

IS0/9004 contains the most widely used guidelines internationally,