ISO 9000
The International Organization for Standardisation ISO 9000 is a ‘family’ of quality management systems designed to help organisations create their approach to directing, controlling and coordinating quality.
It aims to meet the needs of an organisation to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meet the requirements of clients, stakeholders and any applicable regulatory requirements. It is important to note that it is intended to be the base level of a quality system, rather than a complete guarantee of quality.
ISO 9000 is not industry-specific, it can be applied to organisations from many different industries and of any size.
ISO 9000 contains these standards:
- ISO 9001:2015: Quality management systems - Requirements
- ISO 9000:2015: Quality management systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary (definitions)
- ISO 9004:2009: Quality management systems – Managing for the sustained success of an organization (continuous improvement)
- ISO 19011:2011: Guidelines for auditing management systems
The ISO quality management principles are:
- Customer focus: Organisations should seek to understand customer needs, meet their requirements and exceed expectations.
- Leadership: Leaders should establish and maintain organisational unity, direction and a positive internal environment.
- Involvement of people: Peoples' abilities at all levels can be used for the organisation's benefit.
- Process approach: Activities and related resources should be managed as a process to achieve a desired result.
- System approach to management: Overall performance improvement should be a permanent objective.
- Continual improvement: Analysing data and information enables effective decisions.
- Factual approach to decision-making.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.
The changed R&D tax landscape for Architects
Specialist gives a recap on tax changes for Research and Development, via the ACA newsletter.
Structured product data as a competitive advantage
NBS explain why accessible product data that works across digital systems is key.
Welsh retrofit workforce assessment
Welsh Government report confirms Wales faces major electrical skills shortage, warns ECA.
A now architectural practice looks back at its concept project for a sustainable oceanic settlement 25 years on.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
Government report and back track on copyright opt out for AI training but no clear preferred alternative as yet.
Embedding AI tools into architectural education
Beyond the render: LMU share how student led research is shaping the future of visualisation workflows.
Why document control still fails UK construction projects
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor explains what needs to change and how.
Inspiration for a new 2026 wave of Irish construction professionals.
New planning reforms and Warm Homes Bill
Take centre stage at UK Construction Week London.