The quality management system (QMS) is a foundational framework that guides organizations to achieve operational and quality excellence through documenting company policies, processes, procedures, and responsibilities.

The QMS encourages organizations to adopt a continuous improvement mindset from top management down to the production floor.

There are many industry-specific quality management systems, with ISO 9001:2015 being the most recognized and implemented around the world. Other QMS frameworks such as IATF 16949 for the automotive industry, or ISO 13485 for the Medical Device industry use ISO 9001 as a building block and then add specific industry compliance requirements to complete the framework.