What is QUALITY that ISO 9001 safeguards?

According to ISO 9001:2015, quality refers to the degree to which a product or service meets the requirements and expectations of customers and other stakeholders.

The quality to be managed is the quality of the organization's products or services, which includes:

1. Meeting customer requirements and expectations

2. Meeting applicable statutory and regulatory requirements

3. Consistently delivering products or services that meet quality standards

In other words, the organization needs to manage the quality of its own products or services to ensure they meet the requirements and expectations of customers and other stakeholders.

ISO 9001:2015 defines quality as "the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements" (3.6.1).

The organization needs to manage its own quality by:

1. Understanding customer needs and expectations

2. Establishing quality policies and objectives

3. Implementing processes to achieve quality objectives

4. Monitoring and measuring quality performance

5. Continuously improving quality management system

By managing quality effectively, efficiently and consistently, organizations can enhance customer satisfaction, improve efficiency, and reduce risks.