The new idea of quality introduced by the successive revisions of ISO 9001 has brought many changes in the relationships between organizations and in the processes that take place within each organization.
The most important result is that quality is not considered simply as a product characteristic obtained through production control, but has become a management principle recognized by all organizations in their multiple roles as suppliers and customers in their day to day business relations.
The ISO 9001 certification allows any organization to:

• demonstrate its awareness of the importance of monitoring and pursuing customer satisfaction;
• organize and continuously improve its processes for improved products and services

However, an ISO 9001 certification can lead to unrealistic expectations on the quality performance of certified organizations. For a better understanding of the meaning of an ISO 9001 accredited certification, ISO and IAF have published a communiqué.