International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the leader in developing voluntary standards for for-profit, not-for-profit, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Based in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Central Secretariat, this international organization boasts a network of 163 countries, both developed and developing nations. Two well-known certification standards—ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 14000:2004—have been successfully integrated as global standards for management, in terms of quality and environmental sustainability, respectively.

According to the 2009 report “Selection and Use of the ISO 9000 Family of Standards,” the core process links management, resources, and stakeholders in a continuous feedback loop at every step of the production process. ISO 9001:2008 is perhaps the most well-known and validated “approach to managing the organization's processes so that they consistently turn out product that satisfies customers’ ...