Quality Management Standards: Overview and Purpose of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Did you know that the quality of goods and services sold across the globe is governed by certain global quality management standards? Every country has a government body that establishes and maintains quality standards to be followed by its people. The main purpose of such bodies is to facilitate fair exchange of goods and services between different countries. In India, the BIS or Bureau of Indian Standards is the organization that governs quality standards.

Quality Management Standards: Bureau of Indian Standards

The Bureau of Indian Standards is a government body set up by the Central Government of India. It was earlier named as Indian Standards Institute (ISI). The main focus of the organization is to enforce quality standards for enhanced customer satisfaction. BIS is the founder associate of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and is a leader in setting standards certification.

BIS also handles various Management Systems Certification Schemes, which enables it to issue licenses to various industrial sectors. Here are some schemes:

• Quality Management Systems Certification Scheme
• Environmental Management Systems Certification Scheme
• Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
• Food Safety Management Systems Certification Scheme

Quality Management Standards: BIS Objectives

The primary objectives of BIS are:

• Synchronized development of standardization and quality assurance.
• Setting up of new levels for standardization, marketing and quality control.
• Development of a national strategy for standardization and integrate it with production

The standardization of products and services is governed by Bureau of Indian Standards Act 1986. The act, which applies to the whole of India, was devised with the aim of promoting standardization, certification and quality assurance of goods and services.

Quality Management Standards: Bureau of Indian Standards and ISO

ISO was established on February 23, 1947 with an objective of setting international standards of quality that are applicable worldwide. It aims to facilitate exchange of goods and services globally, and cooperation in multiple areas, such as science, technology and economy. Millions of companies in over 149 countries are following these standards.

ISO works for a varied range of sectors, including:

• Agriculture
• Construction
• Medical devices
• Chemicals
• Information Technology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Water Resources

ISO 9000 standards family constitutes four main standards:

• ISO 9000:2000
• ISO 9001:2000
• ISO 9004:2000
• ISO 19011: 2002 .