Whats does being ISO 9001 compliant mean?
Both non-certified and certified businesses can claim compliance with ISO 9001:2000. For example: A non-certified business may state in their marketing literature that they operate their Quality Management System in accordance with ISO 9001:2000. This is okay but it is then up to you as a purchaser of their products or services to satisfy yourself that their claim is legitimate. For the purposes of legitimacy most businesses opt to become ISO 9001:2000 registered, this proves to perspective customers that their declaration of ISO 9001:2000 compliance in their marketing or other literature has been validated by a reputable third party organisation. A spin off benefit from being ISO 9001:2000 certified is that it can assure your potential customers that you are operating legitimate business systems without them having to first audit your business. Conversely, potential customers may be sceptical about self-declarations of ISO 9001:2000 compliance.
