Critical Factors to Attain ISO 9000 Certification: A Survey of Indian SMEs

Primarily by answering one critical question: what needs to be done to achieve quality? The answer is simple: go for ISO 9000. By following the development in Indian Business, it may be right to conclude that ISO 9000 has been a big hit with corporate India. Increasing competition, both local and global is making it difficult for Indian companies to continue in business without focusing on the needs of customers and initiating continues improvement. Customers in India and abroad demand assurance that the products and services they are paying for, will meet their specifications. This growing emphasis on quality in products and services is forcing the Indian Industries to adopt internationally recognized quality Management system (QMS) like ISO: 9000. Present paper tries to examine the critical factors to attain ISO 9000 registration through an exhaustive survey of Indian SMES located in central India. The survey also leads to conclusion that ISO 9000 registration processes is an important step towards achieving Total Management (TQM).