An Empirical Analysis of ISO 9004:2000 Maturity in ISO 9001 Certified SMEs

This paper empirically determines the extent to which ISO 9001 certified small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) were able to attain the eight quality management princples on which the ISO 9004:2000 Standard is based. It employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process approach in determining the percent weightings of the principles and the self‐assessment questions which form part of the ISO 9004:2000 Standards. Of particular interest is a weakness of these enterprises in formulating policies addressing the needs and expectations of shareholders and the society in terms of the community and the public affected by the organisations or its products. This paper makes a contribution to the body of knowledge in the field of quality management in Trinidad and Tobago where such work is limited. It adds value by empirically measuring TQM implementation through determining the extent to which its criteria are implemented in ISO 9001 certified SMEs.