ISO 9001:2000 certification

ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 state generic requirements for management systems implemented by any organization, in any sector of activity. They apply to the processes that an organization employs to realize its products or services – in other words, the way it accomplishes its work and meets the customers’ requirements. ISO 9001:2000 applies to the processes that influence product or service quality, and ISO 14001:2004 to the processes that influence the organization’s environmental performance. ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 do not give specific requirements for specific products or services.

Therefore, ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications must not be presented in any way that may be interpreted as their being product certifications or product guarantees. For example, customers and consumers must not be misled into believing that ISO 9001:2000 is a product quality guarantee, or that ISO 14001:2004 guarantees a “green” or environmentally friendly product.

Such misunderstandings can occur if a product has phrases such as “ISO 9001:2000 certified”, or “ISO 14001:2004 certified” stamped on it, or included on the product label, or in an advertisement, or in other product-related information. This is unacceptable because it is not the product that has been certified, but the management system covering the processes through which it has been realized.

Therefore, ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certification marks of conformity should not appear on products, product labels or product packaging, or in any way that might be interpreted as denoting product conformity.

When your organization wants to communicate its certification via product-related
material (excluding product packaging, the product label, or the product itself), special care must be taken to avoid the above misinterpretation and to communicate accurately by phrases such as the following:

“The management system governing the manufacture of this product is ISO 9001:2000 (or ISO 14001:2004) certified.” “The management system governing the provision of this service is ISO 14001 (or ISO 9001:2000) certified.”“ISO 9001:2000-certified quality management system”, or “ISO 14001:2004-certified
environmental management system.” “ISO 9001:2000 QMS”, or “ISO 14001:2004 EMS.” “ISO 9001:2000-certified processes”, or “ISO 14001:2004-certified processes.”

Remember: ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 give generic requirements for
management systems, not requirements for specific products or services. ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications are not product certifications or product guarantees. Great care must therefore be taken in the wording of any references to them which appear in product-related information, including advertisements, or on any other medium, in order to avoid giving the impression that they are product certifications or product guarantees. In particular, ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004
certification marks of conformity are not to be displayed on products, on product
labels, on product packaging, or in any way that may be interpreted as denoting
product conformity.

The organization – or the system?

With ISO 9001:2000 or ISO 14001:2004, it is the management system that is certified, not the organization that implements the system. However, since the management system has no independent existence, it is acceptable for organizations with certified systems to describe themselves as certified on condition that they specify the extent of the certification *.

Certified organizations may therefore promote themselves via media such as
company flags, paintwork of vehicle fleets, advertisements and letterheads as ISO
9001:2000 – or ISO 14001:2004 – certified.

A number of certification bodies authorize certified clients to use special logos
developed by the former which include phrases such as “quality assured firm”,
“quality assured” and variants. These are derived from the standardized definition of “assurance” which denotes a statement giving confidence that something fulfils
specified requirements – such uses are acceptable.