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System design, execution, and sustainment are key to organizational excellence (or, doing everything right, the first time, on time, every time, all the time). 

The design, establishment, and sustainment of a quality management system is a key strategy. Basing such a system on ISO 9001 provides numerous additional benefits (ISO 9001:2015, .1). 

The term Quality Management System traditionally tends to quality, while Management System can tend to aspects of quality, financial, and environmental management (ref. ISO 9000:2015, 3.5.3, Note-1). This latter intention has become the explicit direction of the standard (ISO 9001:2015, 5.1.1.c and 7.1.4). However, an organization seeking full environmental control also would seek certification to the ISO 14001 environmental standard. 

Simply put, ISO 9001’s primary purpose was to meet quality and delivery requirements and employ continual improvement. Now, ISO 9001 provides the framework for meeting or exceeding organizational goals and objectives, or going to the Moon, or going to Mars, or wherever leadership desires. Once an organization becomes certified, they work through a gestation period, followed by a system maturity journey. This journey will involve experience and decisions on a myriad of methodologies, philosophies, and tool sets both on the market and on the drawing boards from which to pursue. Choices must include both the hard and soft edges. 

This theatre will include to varying degrees the good, bad, ugly, the right way, the wrong way, the better way, and of course the arguable best way. Hence, enjoy the analyses, evaluations, risk-based thinking, and the cost benefit determination.

Life and business, and technology, are dynamic, always changing. What is continual improvement?