So what is an ISO 9001?

[John Kasaian]

Certain makers of sheet film "boast" (well, the outfits that sell their film boast) that ISO 9001 assures a high quallity product, yet some of the film from these companies have had (according to posters here and over at APUG) quality issues. So I'm wondering---what is ISO 9001? What does it guarantee---if anything? Are the alleged QA issues based in fact (I personally haven't had any problems with these films---am I just lucky? Should I be buying lottery tickets?) I figure someone around here ought to have the skinny on this.

[Kevin Crisp]

It is an international standards organization that hopes to ensure that product design and manufacturing are first rate. The organization does inspections, and the inspections are the real deal. A large focus of it is quality control or, as I believe they phrase it, "quality management." See:

http://www.iso.org/iso/management_standards.htm

[Bruce Watson]

http://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue...csnumber=21823

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

AN ISO 9000 and it's derivative certifications does not insure you will have error free production. It is a management methodology that documents all the steps in production (including QC) and that in case a defective item is found that are documented procedures to identify the where the flaw is occuring and what has to be done about it.

[Pete Watkins]

In the U.K. it's somthing that management achieve before they regress to the standards that are the companies norm. In short it's all B.S.
Pete.

[Jim Jirka]

A very heavy load on documentation for quality assurance, especially for those that are typically under staffed.

Or it is a higher ISO speed than 1600.

[Paul Bujak]

Basically, what Pete and Jim said. It's good for paper and binder companies, certification firms and pencil pushers. For the product? Well....

[John Kasaian]

I seeeeeeeee........thanks!

[Greg Lockrey]

Basically what Jorge said. It's a methodology to track screw ups but not necessarily correct them.

[Ron Mowrey]

One of the things about photographic manufacturing is that so few people understand it, it is hard for an inspector to tell what is going on. No company will allow an inspector from a competitor into their plant either.

So, this guy who knows nothing about photography walks in cold, and he can be told just about anything. Usually it is the books that they are interested in anyhow, so they look at the paper trails and analytical testing. Things like that.


Ron Mowrey