. ESTABLISHING THE INITIAL STATE OF THE QMS
The implementation of an ISO 9001 conformant system must recognize that it is but a step in a
long-term development of a continually improving QMS. This is depicted in Figure 1.
Unfortunately, it is often the case that ISO 9001 is taken as a means to an end, where the
implementation of a QMS is not the primary objective, rather certification is. As a result, SMEs
may end up with stacks of documentation waiting to be processed that adds no value, but cost.