Following ISO 9000 a whole series of standards have been developed around other subjects of business. First of all standards on safety and environment (VCA, OHSAS, ISO 14000) but lately also standards on more modern themes like the socially responsible organization (ISO 26 000).

But also within the quality management standards, there is a clear trend evolving. More and more sector specific standards are being developed and they are becoming more important. There is a tendency to go for certification according to sector specific standards at the expense of a general standard like ISO 9001.

There is a good reason why this is happening: these sector specific standards contain requirements that are directly linked to the products and the specifics of the business. Not only do they state what has to be done, very often they contain clear requirements on how this has to be done, including the methods and tools to be used. For the user (supplier) this makes the standard easier to interpret and for the customer it offers a higher certainty on product quality. Off course, this makes these standards more demanding, but most users like this aspect.

QS Consult view and services offered

Because sector specific standards are closely related to the technical process and the product quality it is out of the question to be able to deliver top class advice on all sectors. QS Consult has wide experience in the automotive industry, so we offer services in that sector - see “ISO TS 16949”.

In the area of food and food safety (ISO 22 000) we do not have this expertise. For questions on support from the food industry we work together with Incoman NV (see “Partnerships” ).

At this point in time we are still looking for specialised partners in the area of environment (ISO 14 000) and safety (VCA, OHSAS 18000). Should you have specific question we will help you find the partner that suits you best.

Companies interested in a partnership with QS Consult can always contact us.