Quality thinking and management systems

Since decades companies search for ways to concretize the value they see in factors like quality and environmental and social responsibility. Even in the middle ages artisans organized themselves in guilds to distinguish themselves on craftsmenship and quality. In the last decades of the last century large industries in Japan and the United States introduced themselves as quality-supporters by introducing systems and techniques like Quality engineering, Zero tolerance and Total quality management.

In the course of time, many of these quality systems proved to be successful. Using assets of the quality thoughts, the early adapters of the quality systems stated quality requirements to their supplying parties in the chain.

This initiated the wish to have a more standard approach on testing and controlling quality by organizations.

International standards

In 1987 the first standard for quality control was published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Since then, quality control based on standards and certification spread widely over the world. Since the publication of the first standards for management systems, not only new versions of the standards are introduced, but also standards on other aspects of management have been added.