Quality Management Principles (ISO 9000)

ISO 9000 defines seven principles that underpin every quality management system — from ISO 9001 to AS9100 to IATF 16949.

The seven principles

#	Principle	What it means in practice
1	Customer focus	Understand current and future customer needs; exceed expectations
2	Leadership	Leaders create conditions for people to achieve quality objectives
3	Engagement of people	Competent, empowered people at all levels create value
4	Process approach	Activities managed as interrelated processes produce consistent results
5	Improvement	Ongoing improvement of performance is a permanent objective
6	Evidence-based decisions	Decisions based on analysis and evaluation of data
7	Relationship management	Manage relationships with interested parties (suppliers, regulators) to sustain performance

CQE exam tips

Know all seven by name — questions often give four options and ask which is NOT a principle.
"Process approach" and "systems approach" are often confused; ISO 9000 uses process approach.
The principles connect to Deming's 14 points; understand the relationship for context questions.
Principle 6 (evidence-based decisions) is the foundation for SPC, capability studies, and hypothesis tests.

Take the Free Quiz →

More: 5 Whys · 8D problem solving · AOQ & AOQL · APQP & PPAP · AQL sampling plans · Attribute agreement & kappa · Attribute control charts · Availability & maintainability · Benchmarking types · Binomial vs Poisson · Blocking & randomization · Calibration & traceability · Capability: non-normal · Chi-square test · Confidence intervals · Control chart selection · Control plan · CA effectiveness · Cost of quality · Cp vs Cpk vs Cpm · Cpk vs Ppk · CQE exam day tips · CQE study plan · CQE vs CQA vs CSSBB · Is the CQE worth it? · CUSUM & EWMA · Design reviews · Design V&V · Destructive testing · DFMEA vs PFMEA · Document control · Fault tree analysis · First article inspection · Fishbone diagram · FMEA: RPN vs AP · Full vs fractional factorial · Gage R&R · GD&T basics · Hazard vs risk vs harm · Hypothesis test selection · I-MR chart · Interaction plots · ISO 14971 · ISO 9001 clauses · Kaizen event planning · Kano model · Lean wastes (TIMWOODS) · Linear regression · Management review · MRB dispositions · MSA: bias, linearity & stability · NCR, CAPA & PA · Nonparametric tests · Normal distribution & z-table · One-way ANOVA · p-value explained · Pareto chart · PDCA vs DMAIC · Poka-yoke · QFD / House of Quality · Quality audits · Quality mgmt principles · Quality manual vs procedures · Quality plan vs control plan · Redundancy: parallel & standby · Reliability allocation · Bathtub curve & MTBF · Response surface methods · Risk-based thinking · Risk matrix vs FMEA · 7 mgmt & planning tools · Short-run SPC · Six Sigma certifications · Sigma level & DPMO · Six Sigma DMAIC · Supplier quality scorecards · Switching rules (sampling) · Taguchi loss function · Theory of constraints · Tolerance stackup · Traceability & lot control · Type I vs II error · Value stream mapping · Variables vs attributes · Weibull analysis · Western Electric rules · X-bar R vs X-bar S · CQE calculators · Study planner · Section quiz

Not affiliated with ASQ. © 2025 bizarreact.com