New Edition of ISO 9001 Small Business Handbook
NSAI has just published the latest edition of the successful handbook, ISO 9001 for Small Businesses, which has been jointly issued by ISO and the International Trade Centre (ITC). This new publication is called: ISO 9001:2008 For Small Businesses – What to do – Advice from ISO/TC 176
The ISO 9001 for Small Businesses has been jointly issued by ISO and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The handbook has been updated to take account of the latest edition of ISO 9001, published in 2008. This standard, which gives the requirements for quality management systems, is among ISO’s most well known and widely implemented standards ever. ISO 9001 is used in some 176 countries by businesses and organizations large and small, in public and private sectors, by manufacturers and service providers, in all sectors of activity.
In plain language and through numerous concrete examples from a wide range of sectors, ISO 9001 for Small Businesses aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to understand and implement the standard.
The handbook has been written by a group of experts participating in ISO/TC 176, the ISO technical committee responsible for the ISO 9000 family of standards. The full text of ISO 9001:2008 standard is included and highlighted in boxes. This is followed by guidance on how to implement the requirement providing explanations, guiding questions and examples, which makes it easy to read and understand.
The joint Preface to the handbook is contributed by ISO Secretary-General, Rob Steele, and ITC Executive Director, Patricia R. Francis, who comment: "Small business is the world’s biggest business. More than 95 % of the world’s businesses are small to medium-sized and many countries look to small and medium businesses to power economic growth and employment. Therefore International Standards need to assist small business just as much as they do global enterprises, government and society at large. In particular, SMEs should be able to share in gains in efficiency and effectiveness offered by ISO 9001."
Patricia Francis and Rob Steele conclude: "This handbook is the latest example of the fruitful cooperation between ISO and the ITC. The two organizations hope that it will enable small businesses – in developing, transitional and industrialized economies – to draw the maximum benefits from ISO 9001, a standard which has become an essential tool of the world economy."
The NSAI Quality Management Standards Consultative Committee (QMSC) recommended the adoption and publication of the new edition of the Small Business Handbook as it is a useful document for any Irish organization, irrespective of size, seeking to implement ISO 9001. NSAI would welcome contributions from quality management experts who are interested in contributing to the work of the QMSC in monitoring and developing Quality Management Standards. For more information please contact Linda Hendy on 01 807 3867
Copies of the new edition of the Small Business Handbook [Hardcopy Price: €65] can be purchased by contacting NSAI Standards Sales on www.standards.ie or by contacting 01 857 6730.
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