The International Standard Organization was established in 1947 with the aim to globalize standards. Representative offices of the organization, that provides assessment services and issue certificates, are spread in about 32 countries of the world. The representatives issuing ISO certificates in these 32 countries have about 200 branches. ISO standard, or its defined equivalent, is approved and accepted in about 90 countries and in some of these countries, ISO standard is recognized as the national standard of the country. In Iran, since 1995, due to the adoption of the export promotion policy, added importance is being paid to the international standards for quality management.

In order to enter the world markets, innumerable Iranian production and service companies have endeavored to obtain ISO certificate. Presently many representatives of foreign institutions, issuing ISO certificates, are active in Iran. These representatives inspect the Iranian companies and, in some cases, even introduce consultants to assist the managers of the companies to codify the processes and activities of the company. During the last few years, a large number of Iranian companies have succeeded in obtaining ISO 9000, and even ISO 14000 certificates and this is an indication to the attention and importance being paid by domestic managers to foreign buyers and markets.

The aim of ISO is to facilitate international trade by improving and promoting international standards for systems, products and services. Standards that are equivalent to ISO standard in some countries are as follows: ANSI, ASQC, Q90 Series in USA, ENI 9000 and B 55750 in England and Europe. The world recognizes the above standards as equivalent to ISO and considers them to be of the same international standing. ISO certificate is tantamount to the fact that the quality control process of the company or organization has a procedure and a sequence and that the organization actually practices what it says.

If a company or organization is awarded an ISO 9000 certificate, it can truthfully declare to its customers that it is in possession of a documented codified quality system which is being observed and continually followed. ISO 9000 standardizes the potentialities and forms of the company or organization. One of the benefits of obtaining an ISO certificate is that the company is distinguished as a supplier of superior quality goods and or services and this is a merit that most holders of ISO 9000 certificates take advantage of having supremacy over their competitors.

ISO 9000 Series ISO 9001
This type of standard is used for institutions involved in designing, development, production, installation, provision of services for products and provision of services to customers.

ISO 9001
certificate is used for production companies who design and produce their products themselves.

ISO 9002
This type of standard is issued to companies that provide services or produce goods according to the plans and specifications prepared by the customers.

ISO 9003
This standard is used in cases of final assessment and methods for conducting tests. This standard requires the company to perform quality assurance during the stage of inspection and final testing.