With ISO 9000 achieving worldwide acceptance, here's a look at some regional differences, with tips on selecting a registrar as ISO 9001: 2000 kicks in.
ISO 9000, the international standard for quality management, is truly becoming a worldwide standard. By December 2001, there were more than 510,616 businesses certified in 161 countries. While 10 industrialized nations accounted for nearly 62% of that total (see Figure 1), ISO 9000 registrations are now being reported from many smaller countries as well, including Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Zambia.
This worldwide acceptance is fueling a growing demand for services linked with ISO 9000 registration, defined as documented evidence that a company's quality management system (QMS) conforms to the standard. While efforts are underway to ensure that the ISO registration process is applied consistently across the globe, regional differences still exist.