ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the quality system in terms of the ISO quality standards for the service industry. It focuses on ISO 9004-2 to show that indeed all services can and should follow the building blocks of quality as identified by the ISO structure. The chapter explains the key aspects of the quality system and identifies each of the components as: management responsibility, quality system structure, personnel and material resources, and interface with customers. It explores the responsibility of marketing and the need and demand for service. The chapter provides some strong guidelines for the requirements of procured products and services. The implementation process for the ISO standards in any service industry is exactly the same as in any other organization. Service quality improvement recommends the existence of programs that support the continual improvement process in service quality, including an effort to identify the most important characteristics to the customer.
