The year 2000 problem of ISO 9000:will the quality standards survive the proposed year 2000 revision?

摘要

The ISO 9000 standards were first published in 1987.Afirst,more limited revision was completed in 1994.There is now a more thorough revision underway.A first draft of the suggested new standard has been published in July 1998 and a second draft,expected to be very close to the final version,in February 1999.The changes proposed in these drafts are described and discussed.Summing up,the standard is changing from a technical-practical tool to a management tool.Four problems with this development are discussed:the sum of demands on management;the comparative strength of the ISO 9000 standard concept;the changed role of the certifying bodies that this change implies;and the implied paradigm of management,The consequences of this may be that the standard turns into a legitimacy seeking management concept alingside other pouular"three-letter acronyms"and thereby adds to the growing amount of hypocrisy in management.This is the year 2000 problem for the ISO 9000 standards.