What is a QMS?
STANDARDS
We support you throughout the implementation of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1, ISO 50001, ISO 22000, HACCP and ISO 37001, and we train your staff.
What is a QMS?
ISO 9001
(QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM)
(QMS)
ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for a quality management system (QMS). The current edition, ISO 9001:2026, was published in September 2026; certificates to the 2015 edition remain valid until 30 September 2029 at the latest.
ISO 9001 is a framework for running a quality management system and helps the organisation perform well on the quality of its products and services. It provides a set of principles for a logical approach to managing business activities, so that customers are consistently satisfied.
It sets out requirements for quality management: the organisation must assess and demonstrate its ability to provide products or services that meet customers’ needs and the applicable legal requirements, and so increase customer satisfaction.
Who is ISO 9001 for?
ISO 9001 suits any organisation that wants to improve the way it is managed, whatever its size, number of employees or sector. It is also compatible with other management system standards, such as ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety (which replaced OHSAS 18001) and ISO 14001 for environmental management. They share many principles, so they can be integrated.
The purpose of the standard is to make the organisation more effective through the process approach. Its strength is that it links individual processes and departments and shows how they interact. Defining the inputs and outputs of every process and the resources they need gives a basis for planning, as well as feedback on customer satisfaction. This model increases customers’ confidence in the product or service and can lead to a stronger market position and greater competitiveness.
The building blocks of an ISO 9001 quality management system:
- The context of the organisation and interested parties
- Leadership and the quality policy
- Risks and opportunities
- Documented information
- Operational processes
- Internal audit and management review
- Nonconformities and corrective action
- Continual improvement
Benefits of implementing ISO 9001:
- Gaining or strengthening the trust of existing and, even more importantly, potential clients,
- better business capability and productivity,
- a focus on business goals and customers’ expectations,
- achieving and maintaining a stable level of product and service quality that meets customers’ requirements and stated needs,
- higher customer satisfaction,
- confidence that the desired level of quality has been achieved and is being maintained,
- opportunities to win new markets and increase your share of existing ones,
- an ISO 9001 certificate issued by an accredited certification body,
- the ability to take part and compete in tenders.