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Applicability of ISO 9000 in the service industry : University of Stellenbosch Business School case study

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the face of increasing competition, Business Schools increasingly have to evaluate the quality of
the service that they offer to current and prospective students. The most significant factor affecting
an organisation's performance is the quality of its products and services in relation to the products
and services of competitors. Measurement of service quality is a function of customer satisfaction,
which in tum is based on a perception of how the service conforms to prior expectations thereof.
A widely accepted method of quality assurance used in industry is ISO 9000 certification. For
academic institutions the de facto method of providing confidence in the quality of the education
they offer is through academic accreditation. The University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB)
is unclear - in the light of its academic accreditations - of the benefits to be derived from
implementing ISO standardisation within the organisation.
The iso 9000 series is a set of quality standards, of which ISO 900 I: 2000 is one, which is
primarily concerned with the quality management process. It deals with what the organisation does
to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and applicable regulatory requirements, and
to continually improve the organisations performance in this regard. It is important to note that
compliance with ISO standards is not intended to guarantee the quality of a product or service, it is
however intended to provide confidence in the processes which produced or delivered the product or
service.
In evaluating the applicability of ISO 9000 in the service industry, it is concluded that there is little
difference from how its standards and guidelines apply in manufacturing to how they apply in
service industries.
The USB is found to have implemented an extensive quality management system in order to attain
various academic accreditations, most notably EQUIS accreditation. Thus from an academic
perspective there would be little to gain from USB implementing ISO 9001: 2000, even though the
standard is perfectly suited for academic environments. Where advantages would most likely be
realised is in the peripheral business and support functions of the USB. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die aangesig van toenemende mededinging moet bestuurskole gereeld die kwaliteit van diens wat
hulle aan huidige en voomemende studente bied, evalueer. Die mees veelseggende faktor in 'n
organisasie se prestasie is hoe die kwaliteit van sy produkte en dienste vergelyk met die van sy
mededingers. Die meet van die kwaliteit diens wat 'n organisasie lewer is 'n funksie van die
tevredestelling van kliente, wat op sy beurt weer gebaseer is op insig tot die wyse waarop die diens
ooreenstem met die oorspronklike verwagtinge daarvan.
ISO 9000 sertifikasie word algemeen aanvaar in industrie as 'n betroubare maatstaf waarteen
kwalitieit gemeet word. Vir akademiese instellings is die de facto metode om vertroue te wek in die
kwaliteit van die opleiding wat hulle aanbied, deur middel van akademiese akkreditasie. Vir die
Universiteit van Stellenbosch Bestuurskool (USB) is dit in die lig van hulle akademiese akkreditasie
onduidelik wat die voordele verbonde aan die implementering van ISO standaardisering binne die
organisasie sou wees.
Die reeks ISO 9000 is 'n stel kwaliteitstandaarde, waarvan ISO 900 I: 2000 een is, en is hoofsaaklik
gemoeid met die proses van kwaliteitsbestuur. Dit bemoei hom met die stappe wat 'n organisasie
neem om klientebevrediging te bevorder deur die bereiking van die vereistes van beide sy kliente en
die toepasbare voorskrifte. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat 'n onderworpenheid aan ISO
standaarde geensins die bedoeling het om die kwaliteit van 'n produk of diens te waarborg nie - die
oogmerk is egter om vertroue te wek in die prosesse wat die produk of diens veroorsaak of gelewer
het. Deur die toepasbaarheid van ISO 9000 in die diensbedryfte evalueer, is dit vasgestel dat daar
inderdaad min verskil is tussen die wyse waarop hierdie standaarde en riglyne van toepassing is in
die vervaardigingsektor en hoe dit toegepas word in diensbedrywe.
Dit is vasgestel dat USB 'n verreikende kwaliteitsbestuursisteem in werking het om verskeie
akademiese akkreditasies te bekom, veral die EQUIS akkreditasie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat daar
vanuit 'n akademiese oogpunt min rede is vir USB om ISO 900 I: 2000 te implementeer, selfs al is
hierdie standaard goed van toepassing op 'n akademiese omgewing. Waar dit tot sy beste voordeel
toegepas kan word, is in die omliggende sake- en ondersteuningsfunksies van USB.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49208
Date12 1900
CreatorsSimpson, Antony Paul
ContributorsSmit, E. v. d. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format59 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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