What is ISO?

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In the old days of Kodachrome film (before digital cameras) ISO was used as a measure of how receptive your film is to light as indicated by the numbers – 100, 200, 400, 800 for film speed. A lower film speed meant a finer grain in the resulting photo, which in turn required more light.  In other words, low speeds were used for day light and high speeds were used for low light.  Today, digital cameras work in a similar way where ISO represents the sensitivity of the sensor.

ISO Quality Standards

Film speed is just one of the thousands of ISO standards in use.  The ISO standards are produced by the International Organization for Standardization (IOS).  But ISO is not an acronym for the IOS.  ISO is the Greek word for equal.  The ISO standards are a series of standards designed to equalize or level the playing field for all manufacturers.

The idea behind an ISO film speed is to ensure that standards exist so that a film speed from each manufacture works the same in any camera.  This defines a quality standard, which improves trade and promotes growth.

ISO has produced over 17,000 different quality standards, specifications, or guidelines since its inception in 1947.   Some of the most popular include:

10 good things ISO standards do for SMEs

• ISO 9001 Quality
• ISO 14001 Environmental Quality
• SAE AS9100 Aerospace Quality
• ISO/TS 16949 Automotive Quality
• ISO 13485 Medical Device Quality
• ISO 22000 Food Safety Quality
• ISO 27000 Computer Security Quality

ISO 9001 Quality Standard

ISO 9001 is the most popular ISO standard.  The ISO 9001 standard is now in use world-wide by over 1 million organizations providing consistent quality products and meeting customer requirements.  ISO 9001 was originally designed (1987) to set management system requirements for businesses.  Revised in 1994, 2000 and 2008.  Yo might be wondering Why Implement an ISO 9001 Quality Management System?  ISO 9001:2008 is built around eight Quality Management System (QMS) principles to increase the focus on management commitment, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Benefits of ISO 9001 Implementation

• Efficiency: Ensure your organization continually improves and succeeds
• Marketing: Improve your consistency, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage
• Cost: Reduce your Cost Of Quality (COQ)
• Morale: Demonstrate your quality & commitment to customers, employees, and suppliers
  

  ISO 9001 Quality Policy and Procedures Manual

So, what is ISO?  It is a standard setting body, located in Geneva Switzerland, that organizes worldwide standards to promote growth and ensure consistency around the globe.

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