A Quality Management System, or QMS, is a set of documentation that includes processes, procedures, policies, and records. These documents describe the rules within a company that prescribe how products or services are created and provided to customers. A successful QMS needs to be designed around the specific requirements of the company and its products and services, but ISO 9001 can serve as a guide for companies during implementation, so that all important components are present in the QMS. It is important to stress that ISO 9001 is not a rigid set of requirements, and that organizations have flexibility in how they implement their Quality Management System. This freedom allows the ISO 9001 standard to be used in a wide range of organizations, and in businesses large and small. One important aspect of ISO 9001 is its processoriented approach. Instead of looking at a company’s departments and individual processes, ISO 9001 requires that a company look at “the big picture.” How do processes interact? Can they be integrated with one another? What are the important aspects of products and services?