“ISO” is the acronym for the “International Organization for Standardization” which is a specialized international agency founded in 1948 to promote the development of international standards.  Its goal is to facilitate the exchange of goods and services worldwide.  The U.S. member body is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized Quality Management System that helps achieve consistent results and continually improve processes by providing quality assurance requirements and quality management guidance.  "ISO 9001 Certified" means an organization has met the requirements in ISO 9001.  Certification to ISO 9001 is voluntary – no legal requirements force adoption of the standard.  ISO 9001:2008 is the most current version of the standard.

While ISO 9001 does not define the actual quality of a product or service, the standard helps achieve consistent results.  Consistency breeds reliability, which in turn leads to excellence – excellence when the product is designed, when it is made, and when it is used.  This level of consistency minimizes the probability that a defective product will reach the marketplace.

This is why there is a growing demand among buyers around the world to purchase their products from ISO-certified suppliers.