ISO Standards
ISO standards contain the metrics or specifications required in order to achieve the guidelines or criteria specified under that series.  These standards are referred to as ISO series in order to refer to groups of standards used for quality management and assurance.

An ISO standard is identified as the ISO series and its version.  For example – ISO 9001:2005.  This indicates that the ISO standard in place is ISO 9001 with the 2005 version.

Here are some of the most popular ISO standards applied for:

ISO 9000
This is a very popular ISO series, ranging from ISO 9001 to ISO 9999.  ISO 9000 is the quality management system used by companies that engage in production.  ISO standards in these series include:

ISO 9126 – used as a model for software quality
ISO 9362 – used to regulate BIC or Bank Identifier Code
ISO 9564 – used to maintain quality in PIN (Personal Identification Number) security and management

ISO 14000
This series is the system used to implement standards in environmental management, specifically in a production environment.  A few standards in these series include:

ISO 14001 – standard for general environmental management
ISO 14064 – standard used for handling greenhouse gases
ISO 14230 – implemented for diagnostic systems used for road vehicles
ISO 14698-1 – used for bio-contamination control

ISO 10000
This series is used to establish ISO standards and guidelines for project management quality.  The series includes:

ISO 10012 – used to implement standards in the production of measuring equipment and for measurement processes
ISO/IEC 10077 – sets the standards for the calculation of heat transmittance in products such as shutters, windows and doors
ISO 10211 – establishes the necessary guidelines for making detailed calculations of surface temperature for the construction of buildings
ISO 10628 – sets the standards for the creation of flow diagrams used in process plants

ISO 20000
The ISO 20000 series sets the standards for guidelines used in establishing an IT service management system.  It covers standards for the following:

ISO 20022 – covers standards used for companies offering financial services
ISO 22000 – establishes guidelines used by certifying bodies that audit other companies’ management systems in food safety
ISO/IEC TR 20943 – used for setting standards for procedures used to achieve consistency in registry content of metadata

Which ISO standard is right for your company?
The choice of ISO standard your organization will apply for will depend on the type of company you have, the nature of its business, its production or manufacturing processes, the type of products and/or services involved and the quality management system you wish to achieve.

ISO 9000
The ISO 9000 series is one of two very popular ISO standards.  In fact, many of the organizations and companies you’ll find today are certified using this management system.  At present, there are hundreds of thousands of companies and organizations that have the ISO 9000 standard.

There are certain requirements for this type of ISO standard, such as:
-    a set number of standards that are used for important business processes
-    record keeping
-    detection of defects or review of problems in products and services
-    continual improvement

The ISO 9000 standard is a standard that companies apply for if they:
-    want to elevate their company’s quality requirements
-    want to comply with the standards set by their suppliers or clients
-    improve their performance in terms of production and service
-    improve customer satisfaction

ISO 9000 does not guarantee the quality of their end products or services, only the related business processes involved.

Industries that are covered by the ISO 9000 standard include automotive, aerospace and telecommunications, among others.

ISO 14000
The ISO 14000 standard is a series that aims to incorporate environmental issues into the processes, operations, standards and considerations of an organization.  Some of the requirements for this standard include:

-    establishment and implementation of an organization’s environmental policy
-    planning of related objectives
-    implementation of related programs
-    identification of the impacts of a company’s products and/or services on the environment
-    management review
-    any corrective actions

This family of ISO standards ranges from ISO 14001 to ISO 14977.  Industries that are covered by the ISO 14000 standard include electronics, Information Technology (hardware, software and related parts and components) and medical, among others.

There are also certain ISO standards that are being applied for parts or component suppliers for certain manufacturers.  For suppliers of automotive manufacturers such as GM and Ford, for example, the ISO 14001 standard is also being used.  For production materials, parts and services suppliers for Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler, the standards for QS 9000 are in place.

The management systems mentioned above are just a few of the series of ISO standards that are applicable today.  ISO standards range from ISO 1 to ISO 38500, each of which implements certain requirements that organizations have to meet.