The Viking warrior did not agonize much over choice. Assuming he intended to procure his sword in a civilized manner, he would go to Thor, his trusted village blacksmith - and he would not bother to ask him questions about the type of steel, the manner of shaping the cutting edge, the hilt or the pommel. But imagine the modern-day Viking - he would face a more startling variety of swords indeed, and he may even end up confused. A sword made in Frankia? From unheard-of lands in the East? With such diversity, how can he possibly know that the sword will behave as it should!

Environmental management systems (EMS) have many benefits. They can reduce waste, and hence unnecessary costs. They help reduce consumption of energy and materials, promoting sustainability for the generations of today and of the future. And they improve corporate image among regulators, customers and the public. It is not surprising, therefore, that more and more companies are seeking to implement an EMS.

In 1987, ISO published the first ISO 9000 series of quality management standards (QMS). Since then, more than one million organizations in 178 countries have achieved ISO 9001 certification. But have they enjoyed financial benefits from doing so? This article summarizes key results from 42 scientific studies showing that implementing the standard does indeed enhance financial performance - but organizations aiming at real internal quality improvements gain more than those using ISO 9001 as a "quick fix" in response to quality problems or customer pressure.