What Is ISO 9004?

What Is ISO 9004?

ISO 9004 doesn't have any requirements in it. It is a guideline for performance improvement. Keep in mind that ISO 9000 and ISO 9001 are fundamental  Quality Management System documents. 

To answer the question "What is ISO 9004?", it is about going beyond the fundamentals. There are explanations and descriptions of continual improvement activities for enhancing customer satisfaction.

The ISO 9004 Performance Improvement guide looks at both sides of the business coin: Efficiency and Effectiveness. The word ‘efficiency’ deals with the internal measure of cost, where effectiveness is an external measure of quality (customer satisfaction).

Both elements are critical to a company's success. The highest quality product produced at a cost that can't be recuperated in the market is as bad as a junk product that can't be sold. Near scenario produces customer satisfaction.

The ISO 9004 guideline takes each section of ISO 9001 and offers information and ideas to help a company move forward in their improvement efforts. There is a self-assessment annex and an annex describing the two fundamental ways to conduct continual improvement.

ISO 9004 is an exceptionally valuable resource and I recommend that companies use it.

This is a summary of the Table of Contents from ISO 9004:

1 Scope
2 Normative reference
3 Terms and definitions
4 Quality management system
4.1 Managing systems and processes
4.2 Documentation
4.3 Use of quality management principles
5 Management responsibility
5.1 General guidance
5.2 Needs and expectations of interested parties
5.3 Quality policy
5.4 Planning
5.5 Responsibility, authority and communication
5.6 Management review
6 Resource management
6.1 General guidance
6.2 People
6.3 Infrastructure
6.4 Work environment
6.5 Information
6.6 Suppliers and partnerships
6.7 Natural resources
6.8 Financial resources
7 Product realization
7.1 General guidance
7.2 Processes related to interested parties
7.3 Design and development
7.4 Purchasing
7.5 Production and service operations
7.6 Control of measuring and monitoring devices
8 Measurement, analysis and improvement
8.1 General guidance
8.2 Measurement and monitoring
8.3 Control of nonconformity
8.4 Analysis of data
8.5 Improvement

Annexes
A Guidelines for self-assessment
B Process for continual improvement
Bibliography

As you can see by looking at the TOC, ISO 9004 covers performance improvement for everything from people to financial resources. The ISO 9004 Performance Improvement Guide is an excellent reference book to have whether a company is looking to be certified or not.

Additional Information Resources

What are Quality Management Systems?

What is ISO 9000?

What is ISO 9001?

What is ISO 9004?

What is ISO 19011?

ISO 9000-2008 Changes

Online ISO 9000/9001 Overview Course

Auditor Training: Online

Auditor Training Courseware