The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland first issued the ISO 9000 standards in 1987, revised them in 1994, and released a new revision in the December 2000. These standards consist of common sense elements that exist in some form at every company. However, a formal quality system like ISO 9000 requires complete documentation and utilization of all of its elements, where applicable.

Since the first draft of ISO 9000, other quality assurance systems have been developed and mandated by specific industries.

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) in Detroit issued the QS 9000 quality system which is mandatory for all Tier 1 suppliers to the Big Three automakers, the QUEST Forum issued the TL 9000 standard for the telecommunications industry, and the American Aerospace Quality Group issued the AS 9100 standard for the aerospace industry. In addition, ISO 14000, the international Environmental Management System (EMS), was approved in September 1996. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) which adopts most of the ISO 9000 requirements. Finally, the European Union (EU) has developed a set of product-specific directives (CE Mark) which must be adhered to by companies selling a wide range of products to the EU. Six Sigma was adopted by Motorola and has been utilized by many companies, most notably General Electric. Finally, in an effort to improve quality among US businesses, the US government has the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that seeks to recognize companies with excellent customer satisfaction and quality practices.

Today, more than 800,000 companies are registered to the ISO 9001 standard worldwide, with 80,000 of these firms operating in North America. These organizations include financial institutions, hotels, hospitals, service companies, and manufacturers. While many companies have waited until these quality assurance standards have become mandatory, a growing number of firms are proactively implementing them in order to realize the long term benefits of the standards. These benefits include reduced waste and error, greater control over critical control points, and increased customer satisfaction and consumer confidence.

Each of Brand Consulting Group's trainers, auditors, and consultants is a certified auditor with extensive experience in developing quality systems for employers and clients. Brand Consulting Group through its resources has the ability to match client companies with a consultant from a wide range of industries including: construction, metals, chemicals, plastics, medical, electronics, automotive, environmental, industrial coatings, computer hardware and software, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and service industries, to name a few.

If your organization wants to maintain its competitive edge in today's global economy, we can help you meet the requirements of these standards.