ISO 9000 and TQM for Business Excellence

There has been a major emphasis for manufacturing firms in Australia and New Zealand to seek certification to the International Quality Standards ISO 9000. These have been rapidly accepted as a standard for documenting processes and procedures. ISO 9000 is a process that typically shifts an organisation’s culture to allow successful Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation. Researchers found that companies that implement ISO9000 and TQM at the same time and in an integrated manner might expect to have advantages in product quality, delivery, productivity and customer satisfaction. ISO9000 certification is only the beginning of a continuous improvement process rather than the end and could be a useful stepping stone for TQM. ISO 9000 can be an excellent start to TQM, if it is interpreted in a way that encourages the company to start on the process of continual improvement by team work of all people working in the company.