Introduction

In this chapter we will summarize the content and structure of the following ISO standards for quality management, software engineering processes, systems engineering processes, and information technology service delivery:

• ISO 9001:2000, Quality management systems - Requirements (ISO 2000b)

• ISO 90003:2004, Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2000 to computer software (ISO 2004a)

• ISO 15288:2008, Systems and software engineering - System life cycle processes (ISO 2008a)

• ISO 12207:2008, Systems and software engineering - Software life cycle processes (ISO 2008b)

• ISO 20000:2005, Information technology - Service management (ISO 2005a)

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, was formed in the mid-1940s with the goal of unifying international industrial standards. ISO has published more than 16,000 standards, most of which are narrowly focused on specific technical criteria. In contrast to the bulk of ISO standards, ISO 9000:2000, Quality management systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary (ISO 2000a), probably the best known ISO standard, is a generalized standard for quality management systems. A quality management system defines the activities an organization performs to ensure that its products and services meet the needs and expectations of its customers. As such, ISO 9000 is intended to be applicable to organizations of all sizes and types, no matter what types of products and services those organizations provide.

ISO 9000, shown in Figure 4.1, represents a family of standards, which form a consistent, core set. ISO 9000 provides a set of common definitions used throughout the family of standards and establishes a number of...