1. Normative context

1.1 ISO 9000 standards for quality management systems

The 2000 version of ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary is based on the concept of "process". Unlike previous versions, where requirements were defined in terms of a list of points to be achieved, the 2000 version means that we can no longer be disciplined, i.e. we can no longer respond point by point to a list of requirements; instead, we have to be imaginative and act as a true manager who aims to place the customer at the heart of the company's concerns, to measure the added value provided by its interventions, and to continuously improve through the implementation of relevant, measurable indicators.

The first two paragraphs of paragraph 7.6 of ISO 9001, entitled "Control...