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What is ISO?
The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) with headquarters in
Geneva, Switzerland, is made up of national standards institutes in 130
countries. To be ISO certified is to be a quality player in the global
marketplace.
What does the ISO 9001:2000 describe?
The ISO 9000 category describes a broad set of standards that companies
must meet to gain certification. Under the 1994 standards, companies were
eligible for certification based on their business sector. Hence ISO 9001
categorized the manufacturing industry, while ISO 9002 described standards
for the service industry. This certification standard was far easier to
obtain since it was possible to achieve even with a poor quality system. As
long as output was consistent certification was usually granted. The
governing board for ISO addressed this iN the new 2000 standard and brought
all business sectors under the ISO 9001:2000 designation.
Another important distinction of ISO 9001:2000 is the scope of
certification. ISO 9001:2000 certification covers transport, storage and
communications, as well as manufacturing. This provides customers with the
assurance of quality at every stage of their relationship with the
supplier. At JH Rhodes it permeates everything we do.
Why is ISO Certification so important?
ISO certification is accepted as a global standard of quality assurance.
ISO standards safeguard consumers and users of products and services, ensuring
operational consistency and reliability. Many ISO certified companies
require their suppliers to be ISO certified or to be seeking ISO
certification. Certified suppliers are designated as preferred vendors. By
the end of 1999, approximately 334,000 ISO certificates had been issued.
For JH Rhodes Company, achieving ISO 9001:2000 certification supports our
ongoing commitments to quality and improvement. We know that service
quality is important to our customers. Our ISO certification provides
measurable assurance from an independent authority that we are continually
delivering the quality our customers not only demand, but count on from JH Rhodes
Company.
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