Understand the basics

This section explains what generic management system standards are.

Generic

Generic means that the same standard can be applied to any organization, large or small, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public administration, or a government department.

Management system

Management system refers to what the organization does to manage its processes, or activities, so that its products or services meet the objectives it has set itself, such as:

• satisfying the customer's quality requirements,
• complying with regulations, or
• meeting environmental objectives.

Management system standards

Management system standards provide a model to follow in setting up and operating a management system. This model incorporates the features on which experts in the field have reached a consensus as being the international state of the art.

Plan – Do – Check – Act

The Plan – Do – Check – Act (PDCA) cycle is the operating principle of ISO's management system standards.

Plan – establish objectives and make plans (analyze your organization's situation, establish your overall objectives and set your interim targets, and develop plans to achieve them).

Do – implement your plans (do what you planned to).

Check – measure your results (measure/monitor how far your actual achievements meet your planned objectives).

Act – correct and improve your plans and how you put them into practice (correct and learn from your mistakes to improve your plans in order to achieve better results next time).