Have you heard about the death of ISO9000?  As the automotive companies launched into the TS16949 programs it became obvious to this author the ISO program was moving down a path of no return.  There are several reasons the ISO registrations are on the decline in developed countries:

  1. The ISO system simply isn’t scalable or flexible enough for the myriad of potential customers who could utilize it.
  2. There is a glass ceiling for small companies where the costs of joining the system are simply unaffordable.
  3. The low frequency of revisions due to the ISO structure and review process makes the system less than nimble.
  4. The total system is simply not dynamic enough to evolve and maintain a presence.

Keep an eye out for new systems which launch in this decade that address the above issues.