International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops internationally agreed standards for products, services and systems.

International standards provide common specifications and methods that can improve quality, safety, efficiency and compatibility and help international trade.

Why ISO matters in product design

International standards are particularly useful when a product is designed, manufactured, supplied or sold across different countries. They can:

give designers, suppliers and manufacturers common requirements and terminology
improve consistency between factories and suppliers
make components and systems more compatible
support controlled quality management
increase confidence between businesses and consumers
reduce barriers when products and components move through international supply chains.

ISO standards are developed through international collaboration. This is useful because manufacturers and suppliers in different countries can work to recognised common requirements.

ISO 9001

ISO 9001 concerns quality management systems (QMS). It focuses on controlled and documented processes, monitoring performance and continual improvement so an organisation can consistently provide products or services that meet requirements.

Possible benefits include:

more consistent quality and fewer avoidable errors
clearer procedures and responsibilities
improved efficiency and customer confidence
evidence that a recognised quality-management system is being used.

Establishing and maintaining a certified system can require training, documentation, auditing, monitoring and staff time, so there is a cost to the organisation. Certification of a management system also does not mean that every individual product is automatically defect-free.

ISO and BSI

A British Standard is a national standard published through BSI, whereas an ISO standard is developed internationally. The key point is not that one is automatically better than the other: the designer or manufacturer should use the standard that is relevant to the product, process and market.