The principles of quality management, the foundation of the quality approach

Quality is not just a matter of common sense (although it is), tools and techniques, it's a state of mind that involves everyone in the company. Quality management is based on principles and founding rules that provide a frame of reference to help the company improve its performance by focusing on the satisfaction of its customers and stakeholders.

The principles of quality management first appeared in ISO 9004 version 2000, and were then included in ISO 9000 version 2005. In the new 2015 version of ISO 9000, these principles still exist, but only 7 of the original 8 have been retained.

This fact sheet presents each of these principles: what they are, why they are important for your organization, the associated benefits, and examples of actions you can take to apply them in your system.