What is ISO?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), is an international agency of standards and guidelines used for measuring quality in the manufacturing and service industries. If you buy from China, this will be very important to you.
Essentially, ISO provides quality management system (QMS) standards to ensure companies are able to meet and deliver on their promises. ISO is a system meant to help organizations start, apply, supervise and measure ways to increase and maintain performance. Essentially, helping them more effectively deliver on their promises.

What does a QMS cover?
Oftentimes, when entrepreneurs buy from China, suppliers will seduce them into thinking they can cover your product ISO standards, when in reality they may cover the ISO standards you require, but for a different product. Truth is, ISO certification does not guarantee product quality. ISO only certifies the processes that make the product are documented and executed in a quality manner.
A QMS should cover some of the points below:
Record keeping
Organization structure
Employee responsibilities
Process to provide services or products
How continuity is preserved during staff changes
Procedure to manage employees and conduct business
System to ensure employees receive the information they need
Detailed objectives, like keeping defects below a certain percent
Training programs and standard operating procedures (to make sure employees know how to perform their work duties)
What Types of Quality Management Systems are Used in China
The most common QMS structure used in China, by far, is ISO 9001. Essentially ISO 9001 is considered the very minimum quality standards a company can expect to apply in regards to QMS. Depending on your product, other QMS standards may be more relevant and applicable.
Below are just a few examples taken from the ISO website. More QMS standard information can be found on their site below:
Quality
Number | Title |
ISO 9001:2015 | Quality management systems — Requirements |
ISO 10004:2012 | Quality management — Customer satisfaction — Guidelines for monitoring and measuring |
ISO 13485:2016 | Medical devices — Quality management systems — Requirements for regulatory purposes |
Safety and Security
Number | Title |
ISO 10377:2013 | Consumer product safety — Guidelines for suppliers |
ISO 10393:2013 | Consumer product recall — Guidelines for suppliers |
ISO/CD 22000 | Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the food chain |
ISO/DIS 34001.3 | Security management system — Fraud countermeasures and controls |
ISO/DTS 34700 | Animal welfare management — General requirements and guidance for organizations in the food supply chain |
ISO/DIS 45001 | Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use |
ISO/IEC 80079-34:2011 | Explosive atmospheres — Part 34: Application of quality systems for equipment manufacture |
General Management
Number | Title |
ISO 13485:2016 | Medical devices — Quality management systems — Requirements for regulatory purposes |
Environment and Energy
Number | Title |
ISO 14001:2015 | Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use |
ISO 14004:2016 | Environmental management systems — General guidelines on implementation |
ISO 14006:2011 | Environmental management systems — Guidelines for incorporating Eco design |
Environment and Energy
Number | Title |
ISO 14298:2013 | Graphic technology — Management of security printing processes |
ISO 15378:2015 | Primary packaging materials for medicinal products — Particular requirements for the application of ISO 9001:2008, with reference to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) |
ISO/AWI 41001 | Facilities Management — integrated Management System — Requirements [with Guidance for Use] |
Services
Number | Title |
ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 | Information technology — Service management — Part 1: Service management system requirements |
ISO 21101:2014 | Adventure tourism — Safety management systems — Requirements |
ISO 24518:2015 | Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services — Crisis management of water utilities |
Information Technology
Number | Title |
ISO/IEC 27001:2013 | Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements |
ISO/IEC 90003:2014 | Software engineering — Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2008 to computer software |
ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 | Information technology — Service management — Part 1: Service management system requirements |